Abstract: A method of forming a field effect transistor creates shallower and sharper junctions, while maximizing dopant activation in processes that are consistent with current manufacturing techniques. More specifically, the invention increases the oxygen content of the top surface of a silicon substrate. The top surface of the silicon substrate is preferably cleaned before increasing the oxygen content of the top surface of the silicon substrate. The oxygen content of the top surface of the silicon substrate is higher than other portions of the silicon substrate, but below an amount that would prevent epitaxial growth. This allows the invention to epitaxially grow a silicon layer on the top surface of the silicon substrate. Further, the increased oxygen content substantially limits dopants within the epitaxial silicon layer from moving into the silicon substrate.

Abstract: The first source and drain regions are formed in an upper surface of a SiGe substrate. The first source and drain regions containing an N type impurity. Vacancy concentration in the first source and drain regions are reduced in order to reduce diffusion of the N type impurity contained in the first source and drain regions. The vacancy concentration is reduced by an interstitial element or a vacancy-trapping element in the first source and drain regions. The interstitial element or the vacancy-trapping element is provided by ion-implantation.

Abstract: A method of forming a field effect transistor creates shallower and sharper junctions, while maximizing dopant activation in processes that are consistent with current manufacturing techniques. More specifically, the invention increases the oxygen content of the top surface of a silicon substrate. The top surface of the silicon substrate is preferably cleaned before increasing the oxygen content of the top surface of the silicon substrate. The oxygen content of the top surface of the silicon substrate is higher than other portions of the silicon substrate, but below an amount that would prevent epitaxial growth. This allows the invention to epitaxially grow a silicon layer on the top surface of the silicon substrate. Further, the increased oxygen content substantially limits dopants within the epitaxial silicon layer from moving into the silicon substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconducting device including a gate region positioned on a mesa portion of a substrate; and a nitride liner positioned on the gate region and recessed surfaces of the substrate adjacent to the gate region, the nitride liner providing a stress to a device channel underlying the gate region. The stress produced on the device channel is a longitudinal stress on the order of about 275 MPa to about 450 MPa.

Abstract: A novel transistor structure and method for fabricating the same. The transistor structure comprises (a) a substrate and (b) a semiconductor region, a gate dielectric region, and a gate region on the substrate, wherein the gate dielectric region is sandwiched between the semiconductor region and the gate region, wherein the semiconductor region is electrically insulated from the gate region by the gate dielectric region, wherein the semiconductor region comprises a channel region and first and second source/drain regions, wherein the channel region is sandwiched between the first and second source/drain regions, wherein the first and second source/drain regions are aligned with the gate region, wherein the channel region and the gate dielectric region (i) share an interface surface which is essentially perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate, and (ii) do not share any interface surface that is essentially parallel to a top surface of the substrate.

Abstract: Methods of boosting the performance of bipolar transistor, especially SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors, is provided together with the structure that is formed by the inventive methods. The methods include providing a species-rich dopant region comprising C, a noble gas, or mixtures thereof into at least a collector. The species-rich dopant region forms a perimeter or donut-shaped dopant region around a center portion of the collector. A first conductivity type dopant is then implanted into the center portion of the collector to form a first conductivity type dopant region that is laterally constrained, i.e., confined, by the outer species-rich dopant region.

Abstract: A substrate under tension and/or compression improves performance of devices fabricated therein. Tension and/or compression can be imposed on a substrate through selection of appropriate gate sidewall spacer material disposed above a device channel region wherein the spacers are formed adjacent both the gate and the substrate and impose forces on adjacent substrate areas. Another embodiment comprises compressive stresses imposed in the plane of the channel using SOI sidewall spacers made of polysilicon that is expanded by oxidation. The substrate areas under compression or tension exhibit charge mobility characteristics different from those of a non-stressed substrate. By controllably varying these stresses within NFET and PFET devices formed on a substrate, improvements in IC performance have been demonstrated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconducting device including a gate region positioned on a mesa portion of a substrate; and a nitride liner positioned on the gate region and recessed surfaces of the substrate adjacent to the gate region, the nitride liner providing a stress to a device channel underlying the gate region. The stress produced on the device channel is a longitudinal stress on the order of about 275 MPa to about 450 MPa.

Abstract: The first source and drain regions are formed in an upper surface of a SiGe substrate. The first source and drain regions containing an N type impurity. Vacancy concentration in the first source and drain regions are reduced in order to reduce diffusion of the N type impurity contained in the first source and drain regions. The vacancy concentration is reduced by an interstitial element or a vacancy-trapping element in the first source and drain regions. The interstitial element or the vacancy-trapping element is provided by ion-implantation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a strained-Si structure, in which the nFET regions of the structure are strained in tension and the pFET regions of the structure are strained in compression. Broadly the strained-Si structure comprises a substrate; a first layered stack atop the substrate, the first layered stack comprising a compressive dielectric layer atop the substrate and a first semiconducting layer atop the compressive dielectric layer, wherein the compressive dielectric layer transfers tensile stresses to the first semiconducting layer; and a second layered stack atop the substrate, the second layered stack comprising an tensile dielectric layer atop the substrate and a second semiconducting layer atop the tensile dielectric layer, wherein the tensile dielectric layer transfers compressive stresses to the second semiconducting layer. The tensile dielectric layer and the compressive dielectric layer preferably comprise nitride, such as Si3N4.

Abstract: A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes channels for a pFET and an nFET. A SiGe layer is selectively grown in the source and drain regions of the pFET channel and a Si:C layer is selectively grown in source and drain regions of the nFET channel. The SiGe and Si:C layer match a lattice network of the underlying Si layer to create a stress component. In one implementation, this causes a compressive component in the pFET channel and a tensile component in the nFET channel.

Abstract: Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method includes forming source and drain extension regions in an upper surface of a SiGe-based substrate. The source and drain extension regions contain an N type impurity. Reducing vacancy concentration in the source and drain extension regions to decrease diffusion of the N type impurity contained in the first source and drain extension regions.

Abstract: The inventive method for forming thin channel MOSFETS comprises: providing a structure including at least a substrate having a layer of semiconducting material atop an insulating layer and a gate region formed atop the layer of semiconducting material; forming a conformal oxide film atop the structure; implanting the conformal oxide film; forming a set of spacers atop the conformal oxide film, said set of sidewall spacers are adjacent to the gate region; removing portions of the oxide film, not protected by the set of spacers to expose a region of the semiconducting material; forming raised source/drain regions on the exposed region of the semiconducting material; implanting the raised source/drain regions with a second dopant impurity to form a second dopant impurity region; and annealing a final structure to provide a thin channel MOSFET.

Abstract: The present invention provides a strained-Si structure, in which the nFET regions of the structure are strained in tension and the pFET regions of the structure are strained in compression. Broadly the strained-Si structure comprises a substrate; a first layered stack atop the substrate, the first layered stack comprising a compressive dielectric layer atop the substrate and a first semiconducting layer atop the compressive dielectric layer, wherein the compressive dielectric layer transfers tensile stresses to the first semiconducting layer; and a second layered stack atop the substrate, the second layered stack comprising an tensile dielectric layer atop the substrate and a second semiconducting layer atop the tensile dielectric layer, wherein the tensile dielectric layer transfers compressive stresses to the second semiconducting layer. The tensile dielectric layer and the compressive dielectric layer preferably comprise nitride, such as Si3N4.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and method of manufacturing is provided. The method of manufacturing includes forming shallow trench isolation (STI) in a substrate and providing a first material and a second material on the substrate. The first material and the second material are mixed into the substrate by a thermal anneal process to form a first island and second island at an nFET region and a pFET region, respectively. A layer of different material is formed on the first island and the second island. The STI relaxes and facilitates the relaxation of the first island and the second island. The first material may be deposited or grown Ge material and the second material may deposited or grown Si:C or C. A strained Si layer is formed on at least one of the first island and the second island.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an FET device having a conductive gate electrode with angled sidewalls. Specifically, the sidewalls of the FET device are offset from the vertical direction by an offset angle that is greater than about 0° and not more than about 45°. In such a manner, such conductive gate electrode has a top surface area that is smaller than its base surface area. Preferably, the FET device further comprises source/drain metal contacts that are also characterized by angled sidewalls, except that the offset angle of the source/drain metal contacts are arranged so that the top surface area of each metal contact is larger than its base surface area. The FET device of the present invention has significantly reduced gate to drain metal contact overlap capacitance, e.g., less than about 0.07 femtoFarads per micron of channel width, in comparison with conventional FET devices having straight-wall gate electrodes and metal contacts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a strained-Si structure, in which the nFET regions of the structure are strained in tension and the pFET regions of the structure are strained in compression. Broadly the strained-Si structure comprises a substrate, a first layered stack atop the substrate, the first layered stack comprising a first Si-containing portion of the substrate, a compressive layer atop the Si-containing portion of the substrate, and a semiconducting silicon layer atop the compressive layer; and a second layered stack atop the substrate, the second layered stack comprising a second-silicon containing layer portion of the substrate, a tensile layer atop the second Si-containing portion of the substrate, and a second semiconducting silicon-layer atop the tensile layer.

Abstract: A double-gate transistor has front (upper) and back gates aligned laterally by a process of forming symmetric sidewalls in proximity to the front gate and then oxidizing the back gate electrode at a temperature of at least 1000 degrees for a time sufficient to relieve stress in the structure, the oxide penetrating from the side of the transistor body to thicken the back gate oxide on the outer edges, leaving an effective thickness of gate oxide at the center, aligned with the front gate electrode. Optionally, an angled implant from the sides of an oxide enhancing species encourages relatively thicker oxide in the outer implanted areas and an oxide-retarding implant across the transistor body retards oxidation in the vertical direction, thereby permitting increase of the lateral extent of the oxidation.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure and method of manufacturing is provided. The method of manufacturing includes forming shallow trench isolation (STI) in a substrate and providing a first material and a second material on the substrate. The first material and the second material form a first island and second island at an pFET region and a nFET region, respectively. A tensile hard mask is formed on the first and the second island layer prior to forming finFETs. An Si epitaxial layer is grown on the sidewalls of the finFETs with the hard mask, now a capping layer which is under tension, preventing lateral buckling of the nFET fin.

Abstract: A method of producing a backgated FinFET having different dielectric layer thickness on the front and back gate sides includes steps of introducing impurities into at least one side of a fin of a FinFET to enable formation of dielectric layers with different thicknesses. The impurity, which may be introduced by implantation, either enhances or retards dielectric formation.