A method for manufacturing a shallow trench isolation structure includes: providing a substrate and forming multiple first trenches in the substrate, in which a cross-sectional width of each first trench increases downward along a vertical direction; forming a continuous first isolation layer on a top of the substrate and inner sides of the multiple first trenches by a deposition process, in which parts of the first isolation layer located in the first trenches form second trenches, and in which a cross-sectional width of each second trench remains constant downward along the vertical direction; and forming a continuous second isolation layer on a surface of the first isolation layer by an ISSG process, in which parts of the second isolation layer located in the second trenches completely fill up the second trenches.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a first plurality of conductive interconnect lines in and spaced apart by a first ILD layer, wherein individual ones of the first plurality of conductive interconnect lines comprise a first conductive barrier material along sidewalls and a bottom of a first conductive fill material. A second plurality of conductive interconnect lines is in and spaced apart by a second ILD layer above the first ILD layer, wherein individual ones of the second plurality of conductive interconnect lines comprise a second conductive barrier material along sidewalls and a bottom of a second conductive fill material, wherein the second conductive fill material is different in composition from the first conductive fill material.

A semiconductor device includes a gate isolation structure on a shallow trench isolation (STI), a first epitaxial layer on one side of the gate isolation structure, a second epitaxial layer on another side of the gate isolation structure, first fin-shaped structures directly under the first epitaxial layer, and second fin-shaped structures directly under the second epitaxial layer, in which the STI surrounds the first fin-shaped structures and the second fin-shaped structures.

An IC structure includes a semiconductor fin, first and second gate structures, and an isolation structure. The semiconductor fin extends from a substrate. The first gate structure extends above a top surface of the semiconductor fin by a first gate height. The second gate structure is over the semiconductor fin. The isolation structure is between the first and second gate structures, and has a lower dielectric portion embedded in the semiconductor fin and an upper dielectric portion extending above the top surface of the semiconductor fin by a height that is the same as the first gate height. When viewed in a cross section taken along a longitudinal direction of the semiconductor fin, the upper dielectric portion of the isolation structure has a rectangular profile with a width greater than a bottom width of the lower dielectric portion of the isolation structure.

Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, 10 nanometer node and smaller integrated circuit structure fabrication and the resulting structures. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes first and second gate dielectric layers over a fin. First and second gate electrodes are over the first and second gate dielectric layers, respectively, the first and second gate electrodes both having an insulating cap having a top surface. First dielectric spacer are adjacent the first side of the first gate electrode. A trench contact structure is over a semiconductor source or drain region adjacent first and second dielectric spacers, the trench contact structure comprising an insulating cap on a conductive structure, the insulating cap of the trench contact structure having a top surface substantially co-planar with the insulating caps of the first and second gate electrodes.

A semiconductor device includes: a pair of wire patterns configured to extend in a first direction and formed on a substrate to be spaced apart from each other in a second direction, the pair of wire patterns disposed closest to each other in the second direction; a gate electrode configured to extend in the second direction on the substrate, the gate electrode configured to surround the wire patterns; and first isolation layers configured to extend in the first direction between the substrate and the gate electrode and formed to be spaced apart from each other in the second direction, the first isolation layers overlapping the pair of wire patterns in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

The disclosed subject matter provides a method for fabricating a three-dimensional transistor. The method includes forming an active region and two isolation structures on a semiconductor substrate. The active region is formed between the two isolation structures. The method further includes forming a photoresist layer on the active region and the isolation structures, forming an opening in the photoresist layer to expose a top surface of the active region and a portion of a top surface of each isolation structure, and then forming a trench on each side of the active region by removing a portion of the corresponding isolation structure exposed in the opening through an etching process using the photoresist layer as an etch mask. After the etching process, the portion of the active region between the two trenches becomes a three-dimensional fin structure. The disclosed method simplifies fabrication process for three-dimensional transistors and reduces product cost.

Fin Field Effect Transistor (FET) (FinFET) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits with single and double diffusion breaks for increased performance are disclosed. In one aspect, a FinFET CMOS circuit employing single and double diffusion breaks includes a P-type FinFET that includes a first Fin formed from a semiconductor substrate and corresponding to a P-type diffusion region. The FinFET CMOS circuit includes an N-type FinFET that includes a second Fin formed from the semiconductor substrate and corresponding to an N-type diffusion region. To electrically isolate the P-type FinFET, first and second single diffusion break (SDB) isolation structures are formed in the first Fin on either side of a gate of the P-type FinFET. To electrically isolate the N-type FinFET, first and second double diffusion break (DDB) isolation structures are formed in the second Fin on either side of a gate of the N-type FinFET.

A method of forming a fin field effect transistor (finFET) having fin(s) with reduced dimensional variations, including forming a dummy fin trench within a perimeter of a fin pattern region on a substrate, forming a dummy fin fill in the dummy fin trench, forming a plurality of vertical fins within the perimeter of the fin pattern region, including border fins at the perimeter of the fin pattern region and interior fins located within the perimeter and inside the bounds of the border fins, wherein the border fins are formed from the dummy fin fill, and removing the border fins, wherein the border fins are dummy fins and the interior fins are active vertical fins.

The present disclosure provides many different embodiments of a FinFET device that provide one or more improvements over the prior art. In one embodiment, a FinFET includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of fins having a first height and a plurality of fin having a second height on the semiconductor substrate. The second height may be less than the first height.