A structure includes a substrate, a first transistor on the substrate and a second transistor on the substrate. The second transistor is spaced apart from the first transistor by an isolation region. At least one stress-inducing liner is over the first transistor and the second transistor. An opening extends through at least one stress-inducing liner over at least the isolation region, and a dielectric layer is in at least a portion of the opening. The structure allows for local enhanced high-pressure deuterium (HPD) passivation, which increases threshold voltage of the transistors and improves hot carrier injection with no additional masking. A method of forming the structure is also provided.

A semiconductor device including a contact plug formed in a contact hole using a multi-stage contact etch process. The semiconductor device comprises a source/drain region over a semiconductor substrate, an oxide layer extension extending from the source/drain region toward a gate dielectric layer, and a contact plug extending through a dielectric layer over the source/drain region, the contact plug extending through a first etch stop layer and a second etch stop layer to a horizontal remaining portion of the oxide layer extension.

A 3D semiconductor device, the device including: a first level including a first single crystal layer and including first transistors which each includes a single crystal channel; a first metal layer; a second metal layer overlaying the first metal layer; a second level including second transistors, first memory cells including at least one second transistor, and overlaying the second metal layer; a third level including third transistors and overlaying the second level; a fourth level including fourth transistors, second memory cells including at least one fourth transistor, and overlaying the third level, where at least one of the second transistors includes a metal gate, where the first level includes memory control circuits which control writing to the second memory cells, and at least one Phase-Lock-Loop (PLL) circuit or at least one Digital-Lock-Loop (DLL) circuit.

Methods and structures for forming strained-channel finFETs are described. Fin structures for finFETs may be formed using two epitaxial layers of different lattice constants that are grown over a bulk substrate. A first thin, strained, epitaxial layer may be cut to form strain-relieved base structures for fins. The base structures may be constrained in a strained-relieved state. Fin structures may be epitaxially grown in a second layer over the base structures. The constrained base structures can cause higher amounts of strain to form in the epitaxially-grown fins than would occur for non-constrained base structures.

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 silicon fin having a longest dimension along a first direction. A second silicon fin having a longest dimension is along the first direction. An insulator material is between the first silicon fin and the second silicon fin. A gate line is over the first silicon fin and over the second silicon fin along a second direction, the second direction orthogonal to the first direction, the gate line having a first side and a second side, wherein the gate line has a discontinuity over the insulator material, the discontinuity filled by a dielectric plug.

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 fin. An isolation structure surrounds a lower fin portion, the isolation structure comprising an insulating material having a top surface, and a semiconductor material on a portion of the top surface of the insulating material, wherein the semiconductor material is separated from the fin. A gate dielectric layer is over the top of an upper fin portion and laterally adjacent the sidewalls of the upper fin portion, the gate dielectric layer further on the semiconductor material on the portion of the top surface of the insulating material. A gate electrode is over the gate dielectric layer.

A method includes forming a semiconductor fin over a substrate; forming a gate structure over the semiconductor fin, the gate structure comprising: a first metallic layer; a second metallic layer over the first metallic layer, wherein the first metallic layer is a metal compound of a first element and a second element and the second metallic layer is a single-element metal of the second element; and an oxide layer between the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer.

A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, a nanostructured channel region disposed on the substrate, a gate structure surrounding the nanostructured channel region, a source/drain (S/D) region disposed adjacent to the nanostructured channel region, an etch stop layer (ESL) disposed on the S/D region, a stress liner disposed on the etch stop layer and configured to provide compressive stress in the nanostructured channel region, an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer disposed on the stress liner, and a contact structure disposed in the S/D region, ESL, stress liner, and ILD layer.

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 including: a lower semiconductor substrate; an upper semiconductor substrate overlapping the lower semiconductor substrate, the upper semiconductor substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; an upper gate structure on the first surface of the upper semiconductor substrate; a first interlayer insulation film which covers the upper gate structure, wherein the first interlayer insulation film is between the lower semiconductor substrate and the upper semiconductor substrate; and an upper contact connected to the lower semiconductor substrate, wherein the upper contact is on a side surface of the upper gate structure, wherein the upper contact includes a first portion penetrating the upper semiconductor substrate, and a second portion having a side surface adjacent to the side surface of the upper gate structure, and a width of the first portion decreases toward the second surface.