Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of semiconductor fins formed on an upper surface thereof. An epitaxial material is formed on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and on an outer surface of the semiconductor fins. The epitaxial material includes an epi upper surface having a lower region that contacts the semiconductor fins and an upper region formed above the lower region. The upper region extends parallel with an upper surface of the semiconductor fins.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming first and second semiconductor regions laterally adjacent one another and each comprising a first semiconductor material. The method may further include forming an in-situ doped, punch-through stopper layer above the second semiconductor region comprising the first semiconductor material and a first dopant, and forming a semiconductor buffer layer above the punch-through stopper layer, where the punch-through stopper layer includes the first semiconductor material. The method may also include forming a third semiconductor region above the semiconductor buffer layer, where the third semiconductor region includes a second semiconductor material different than the first semiconductor material.

Abstract: Transistors and methods for fabricating the same include forming one or more semiconductor fins on a substrate; covering source and drain regions of the one or more semiconductor fins with a protective layer; annealing uncovered channel portions of the one or more semiconductor fins in a gaseous environment to reduce fin width and round corners of the one or more semiconductor fins; and forming a dielectric layer and gate over the thinned fins.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming a dummy gate above a semiconductor layer on an insulating layer, forming sidewall spacers above the semiconductor layer and on opposing sides of the dummy gate, forming source and drain regions on opposing sides of the sidewall spacers, and removing the dummy gate and underlying portions of the semiconductor layer between the sidewall spacers to provide a thinned channel region having a thickness less than a remainder of the semiconductor layer outside the thinned channel region. The method may further include forming a replacement gate stack over the thinned channel region and between the sidewall spacers and having a lower portion extending below a level of adjacent bottom portions of the sidewall spacers.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of semiconductor fins formed on an upper surface thereof. An epitaxial material is formed on the upper surface of the semiconductor substrate and on an outer surface of the semiconductor fins. The epitaxial material includes an epi upper surface having a lower region that contacts the semiconductor fins and an upper region formed above the lower region. The upper region extends parallel with an upper surface of the semiconductor fins.

Abstract: Effective transfer of stress to a channel of a fin field effect transistor is provided by forming stress-generating active semiconductor regions that function as a source region and a drain region on a top surface of a single crystalline semiconductor layer. A dielectric material layer is formed on a top surface of the semiconductor layer between semiconductor fins. A gate structure is formed across the semiconductor fins, and the dielectric material layer is patterned employing the gate structure as an etch mask. A gate spacer is formed around the gate stack, and physically exposed portions of the semiconductor fins are removed by an etch. Stress-generating active semiconductor regions are formed by selective epitaxy from physically exposed top surfaces of the semiconductor layer, and apply stress to remaining portions of the semiconductor fins that include channels.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices and more particularly, to a structure and method of forming a contact silicide on a source-drain (S-D) region of a field effect transistor (FET) having extensions by using an undercut etch and a salicide process. A method of forming a contact silicide extension is disclosed. The method may include: forming an undercut region below a dielectric layer and above a source-drain region, the undercut region located directly below a bottom of a contact trench and extending below the dielectric layer to a gate spacer formed on a sidewall of a gate stack; and forming a contact silicide in the undercut region, the contact silicide in direct contact with the source-drain region.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate extending in a first direction to define a substrate length and a second direction perpendicular to the first direction to define a substrate width. A first semiconductor fin is formed on an upper surface of the substrate. The first semiconductor fin extends along the second direction at a first distance to define a first fin width. A first gate channel is formed between a first source/drain junction formed in the substrate and a second source/drain junction formed in the first semiconductor fin. A first gate stack is formed on sidewalls of the first gate channel. A first spacer is interposed between the first gate stack and the first source/drain junction.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is provided that includes a gate structure present on a channel portion of a fin structure. The gate structure includes a dielectric spacer contacting a sidewall of a gate dielectric and a gate conductor. Epitaxial source and drain regions are present on opposing sidewalls of the fin structure, wherein surfaces of the epitaxial source region and the epitaxial drain region that is in contact with the sidewalls of the fin structure are aligned with an outside surface of the dielectric spacer. In some embodiments, the dielectric spacer, the gate dielectric, and the gate conductor of the semiconductor device are formed using a single photoresist mask replacement gate sequence.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device and the device are described. The method includes forming a deep STI region adjacent to a first side of an end fin among a plurality of fins and lining the deep STI region, including the first side of the end fin, with a passivation layer. The method also includes depositing an STI oxide into the deep STI region, the passivation layer separating the STI oxide and the first side of the end fin, etching back the passivation layer separating the STI oxide and the first side of the end fin to a specified depth to create a gap, and depositing gate material, the gate material covering the gap.

Abstract: A method of forming a fin-based field-effect transistor device includes forming one or more first fins comprising silicon on a substrate, forming epitaxial layers on sides of the one or more first fins, and removing the one or more first fins to form a plurality of second fins.

Abstract: Effective transfer of stress to a channel of a fin field effect transistor is provided by forming stress-generating active semiconductor regions that function as a source region and a drain region on a top surface of a single crystalline semiconductor layer. A dielectric material layer is formed on a top surface of the semiconductor layer between semiconductor fins. A gate structure is formed across the semiconductor fins, and the dielectric material layer is patterned employing the gate structure as an etch mask. A gate spacer is formed around the gate stack, and physically exposed portions of the semiconductor fins are removed by an etch. Stress-generating active semiconductor regions are formed by selective epitaxy from physically exposed top surfaces of the semiconductor layer, and apply stress to remaining portions of the semiconductor fins that include channels.

Abstract: Methods and structures for forming fin structures whilst controlling the height of the fin structures with high uniformity across large areas are described. According to some aspects, a multi-layer structure comprising a first etch-stop layer and a second etch-stop layer separated from a substrate and from each other by spacer layers is formed on a substrate. Trenches may be formed through the first and second etch-stop layers. A buffer layer may be formed in the trenches, filling the trenches to a level approximately at a position of the first etch-stop layer. A semiconductor layer may be formed above the buffer layer and etched back to the second etch-stop layer to form semiconductor fins of highly uniform heights.

Abstract: Methods and structures associated with forming finFETs that have fin pitches less than 30 nm are described. A selective nitridation process may be used during spacer formation on the gate to enable finer fin pitch than could be achieved using traditional spacer deposition processes. The spacer formation may also allow precise control over formation of source and drain junctions.

Abstract: Techniques and structures for controlling etch-back of a finFET fin are described. One or more layers may be deposited over the fin and etched. Etch-back of a planarization layer may be used to determine a self-limited etch height of one or more layers adjacent the fin and a self-limited etch height of the fin. Strain-inducing material may be formed at regions of the etched fin to induce strain in the channel of a finFET.

Abstract: A high performance GAA FET is described in which vertically stacked silicon nanowires carry substantially the same drive current as the fin in a conventional FinFET transistor, but at a lower operating voltage, and with greater reliability. One problem that occurs in existing nanowire GAA FETs is that, when a metal is used to form the wrap-around gate, a short circuit can develop between the source and drain regions and the metal gate portion that underlies the channel. The vertically stacked nanowire device described herein, however, avoids such short circuits by forming insulating barriers in contact with the source and drain regions, prior to forming the gate. Through the use of sacrificial films, the fabrication process is almost fully self-aligned, such that only one lithography mask layer is needed, which significantly reduces manufacturing costs.

Abstract: Methods and structures for forming a reduced resistance region of a finFET are described. According to some aspects, a dummy gate and first gate spacer may be formed above a fin comprising a first semiconductor composition. At least a portion of source and drain regions of the fin may be removed, and a second semiconductor composition may be formed in the source and drain regions in contact with the first semiconductor composition. A second gate spacer may be formed covering the first gate spacer. The methods may be used to form finFETs having reduced resistance at source and drain junctions.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices, and particularly to fabricating a shallow trench isolation (STI) region in fin field effect transistors (FinFETs) having a small fin pitch. A structure is disclosed. The structure may include: a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of fins on the semiconductor substrate; a plurality of caps on the fins; an isolation layer on the semiconductor substrate and between the plurality of fins, the isolation layer having an upper surface that is substantially flush with an upper surface of the plurality of caps; an isolation trench in the semiconductor substrate; a fin trench where one of the plurality of fins and one of the plurality of caps have been removed; and insulating material in the isolation trench and the fin trench to form an isolation region, the isolation region having an upper surface that is substantially flush with the upper surface of the isolation layer.

Abstract: A method of varying a threshold voltage of a semiconductor device includes forming plural first semiconductor fins atop a substrate and which are separated from one another according to a first fin pitch to define first fin trenches having a first width. At least one second semiconductor fin is formed atop the substrate and is separated from the plural first semiconductor fins by a second fin pitch to define second fin trenches having a second width. The method further includes forming a work function metal layer in the first and second fin trenches. The second trenches have a first cavity formed therein such that at least one second semiconductor fin has a different concentration of work function metal layer with respect to the first plural semiconductor fins so as to vary the threshold voltage of the at least one second semiconductor fin with respect to the first plural semiconductor fins.

Abstract: A method for making a semiconductor device may include forming, above a substrate, a plurality of laterally spaced-apart semiconductor fins, and forming regions of a first dielectric material between the laterally spaced-apart semiconductor fins. The method may further include selectively removing at least one intermediate semiconductor fin from among the plurality of semiconductor fins to define at least one trench between corresponding regions of the first dielectric material, and forming a region of a second dielectric material different than the first dielectric in the at least one trench to provide at least one isolation pillar between adjacent semiconductor fins.