Abstract: Disclosed herein are integrated circuit (IC) contact structures, and related devices and methods. For example, in some embodiments, an IC contact structure may include an electrical element, a metal on the electrical element, and a semiconductor material on the metal. The metal may conductively couple the semiconductor material and the electrical element.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are integrated circuit (IC) contact structures, and related devices and methods. For example, in some embodiments, an IC contact structure may include an electrical element, a metal on the electrical element, and a semiconductor material on the metal. The metal may conductively couple the semiconductor material and the electrical element.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are in the field of advanced integrated circuit structure fabrication and, in particular, integrated circuit structures having germanium-based channels are described. In an example, an integrated circuit structure includes a fin having a lower silicon portion, an intermediate germanium portion on the lower silicon portion, and a silicon germanium portion on the intermediate germanium portion. An isolation structure is along sidewalls of the lower silicon portion of the fin. A gate stack is over a top of and along sidewalls of an upper portion of the fin and on a top surface of the isolation structure. A first source or drain structure is at a first side of the gate stack. A second source or drain structure is at a second side of the gate stack.

Abstract: Techniques are provided herein to form semiconductor devices on a substrate with an alternative crystallographic surface orientation. The techniques are particularly useful with respect to gate-all-around and forksheet transistor configurations. A substrate having a (110) crystallographic surface orientation forms the basis for the growth of alternating types of semiconductor layers. Both n-channel and p-channel transistors may be fabricated using silicon nanoribbons formed from some of the alternating semiconductor layers. The crystallographic surface orientation of the Si nanoribbons will reflect the same crystallographic surface orientation of the substrate, which leads to a higher hole mobility across the Si nanoribbons of the p-channel devices and an overall improved CMOS device performance.

Abstract: Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having nanowires with tight vertical spacing, and methods of fabricating gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having nanowires with tight vertical spacing, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires. A vertical spacing between vertically adjacent silicon nanowires is less than 6 nanometers. A gate stack is around the vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires. A first source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires, and a second epitaxial source or drain structure is at a second end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires.

Abstract: Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having nanowires with tight vertical spacing, and methods of fabricating gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having nanowires with tight vertical spacing, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires. A vertical spacing between vertically adjacent silicon nanowires is less than 6 nanometers. A gate stack is around the vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires. A first source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires, and a second epitaxial source or drain structure is at a second end of the vertical arrangement of horizontal silicon nanowires.

Abstract: An apparatus including a transistor device disposed on a surface of a circuit substrate, the device including a body including opposing sidewalls defining a width dimension and a channel material including indium, the channel material including a profile at a base thereof that promotes indium atom diffusivity changes in the channel material in a direction away from the sidewalls. A method including forming a transistor device body on a circuit substrate, the transistor device body including opposing sidewalls and including a buffer material and a channel material on the buffer material, the channel material including indium and the buffer material includes a facet that promotes indium atom diffusivity changes in the channel material in a direction away from the sidewalls; and forming a gate stack on the channel material.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for forming transistors including source and drain (S/D) regions employing double-charge dopants. As can be understood based on this disclosure, the use of double-charge dopants for group IV semiconductor material (e.g., Si, Ge, SiGe) either alone or in combination with single-charge dopants (e.g., P, As, B) can decrease the energy barrier at the semiconductor/metal interface between the source and drain regions (semiconductor) and their respective contacts (metal), thereby improving (by reducing) contact resistance at the S/D locations. In some cases, the double-charge dopants may be provided in a top or cap S/D portion of a given S/D region, for example, so that the double-charge doped S/D material is located at the interface of that S/D region and the corresponding contact. The double-charge dopants can include sulfur (S), selenium (Se), and/or tellurium (Te). Other suitable group IV material double-charge dopants will be apparent in light of this disclosure.

Abstract: Integrated circuit transistor structures and processes are disclosed that reduce n-type dopant diffusion, such as phosphorous or arsenic, from the source region and the drain region of a germanium n-MOS device into adjacent channel regions during fabrication. The n-MOS transistor device may include at least 70% germanium (Ge) by atomic percentage. In an example embodiment, source and drain regions of the transistor are formed using a low temperature, non-selective deposition process of n-type doped material. In some embodiments, the low temperature deposition process is performed in the range of 450 to 600 degrees C. The resulting structure includes a layer of doped mono-crystyalline silicon (Si), or silicon germanium (SiGe), on the source/drain regions. The structure also includes a layer of doped amorphous Si:P (or SiGe:P) on the surfaces of a shallow trench isolation (STI) region and the surfaces of contact trench sidewalls.

Abstract: Integrated circuit transistor structures are disclosed that reduce n-type dopant diffusion, such as phosphorous or arsenic, from the source region and the drain region of a germanium n-MOS device into adjacent shallow trench isolation (STI) regions during fabrication. The n-MOS transistor device may include at least 75% germanium by atomic percentage. In an example embodiment, the structure includes an intervening diffusion barrier deposited between the n-MOS transistor and the STI region to provide dopant diffusion reduction. In some embodiments, the diffusion barrier may include silicon dioxide with carbon concentrations between 5 and 50% by atomic percentage. In some embodiments, the diffusion barrier may be deposited using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), or physical vapor deposition (PVD) techniques to achieve a diffusion barrier thickness in the range of 1 to 5 nanometers.

Abstract: Gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having source or drain structures with substrate connection portions, and methods of fabricating gate-all-around integrated circuit structures having source or drain structures with substrate connection portions, are described. For example, an integrated circuit structure includes a vertical arrangement of nanowires. A gate stack is over the vertical arrangements of nanowires. A first epitaxial source or drain structure is at a first end of the vertical arrangement of nanowires. A second epitaxial source or drain structure is at a second end of the vertical arrangement of nanowires. One or both of the first or second epitaxial source or drain structures has an upper portion and a lower epitaxial extension portion.

Abstract: Cap layers are formed on silicon germanium (SiGe) source/drain regions to provide etch resistance to processing steps that can occur in a semiconductor manufacturing process between formation of the SiGe source/drain regions and metal contact formation. The cap layers comprise boron and are thin (e.g., 2 nm or less) to provide for a low metal contact resistance. The atomic concentration of boron in the second layer is in a range of about 0.2-20%. In addition to providing etch resistance, the cap layer provides for a thermally stable contact resistance as the cap layer can prevent or limit the creation of voids in the SiGe layer by preventing or limiting the diffusion of germanium from the SiGe layer into the metal in subsequent annealing and other high-temperature processing steps.

Abstract: Methods of forming a strained channel device utilizing dislocations disposed in source/drain structures are described. Those methods and structures may include forming a thin silicon germanium material in a source/drain opening of a device comprising silicon, wherein multiple dislocations are formed in the silicon germanium material. A source/drain material may be formed on the thin silicon germanium material, wherein the dislocations induce a tensile strain in a channel region of the device.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a first non-planar semiconductor device and a second non-planar semiconductor device. The first non-planar semiconductor device includes a first body, a first gate structure at least in part wrapped around the first body, and a first source region and a first drain region. The first body extends laterally between the first source and first drain regions. The second non-planar semiconductor device comprises a second body, a second gate structure at least in part wrapped around the second body, and a second source region and a second drain region. The second body extends laterally between the second source and second drain regions. In an example, a first height of the first body is at least 5% different from a second height of the second body. Each of the first and second bodies can be, for instance, a nanoribbon, nanosheet, or nanowire.

Abstract: An integrated circuit structure includes a substrate, a first device above a first section of the substrate, and a second device above a second section of the substrate. The first device includes a first source region and a first drain region, and a first body extending laterally between the first source and first drain regions. In an example, the first body includes silicon with crystalline orientation described by Miller index of (100). The second device includes a second source region and a second drain region, and a second body extending laterally between the second source and second drain regions. In an example, the second body includes silicon with crystalline orientation described by Miller index of (110).

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a body including semiconductor material, and a gate structure at least in part wrapped around the body. The semiconductor structure further includes a source region and a drain region, the body laterally extending between the source and drain regions. The body has a middle region between first and second tip regions. In an example, the source region at least in part wraps around the first tip region of the body, and/or the drain region at least in part wraps around the second tip region of the body. In another example, the body includes a core structure and a peripheral structure (e.g., cladding or layer that wraps around the core structure in the middle region of the body) that is compositionally different from the core structure. The body can be, for instance, a nanoribbon, nanosheet, or nanowire or a gate-all-around device or a forksheet device.

Abstract: Techniques and methods related to strained NMOS and PMOS devices without relaxed substrates, systems incorporating such semiconductor devices, and methods therefor may include a semiconductor device that may have both n-type and p-type semiconductor bodies. Both types of semiconductor bodies may be formed from an initially strained semiconductor material such as silicon germanium. A silicon cladding layer may then be provided at least over or on the n-type semiconductor body. In one example, a lower portion of the semiconductor bodies is formed by a Si extension of the wafer or substrate. By one approach, an upper portion of the semiconductor bodies, formed of the strained SiGe, may be formed by blanket depositing the strained SiGe layer on the Si wafer, and then etching through the SiGe layer and into the Si wafer to form the semiconductor bodies or fins with the lower and upper portions.

Abstract: A gate-all-around transistor device includes a substrate, and a layer over the substrate, where the layer includes an insulator material. The device also includes a source region and a drain region, and a body that includes a semiconductor material over the layer and that laterally extends between the source and drain regions. In an example, the semiconductor material of the body is under biaxial tensile strain induced by an underlying strained semiconductor on insulator (SSOI) structure, in addition to any additional strain induced by the source and drain regions (if any). A gate structure is at least in part wrapped around the body, where the gate structure includes (i) a gate electrode and (ii) a gate dielectric between the body and the gate electrode. The body can be, for instance, a nanoribbon, nanosheet, or nanowire.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are IC structures, packages, and devices assemblies that use ions or fixed charge to create field plate structures which are embedded in a dielectric material between gate and drain electrodes of a transistor. Ion- or fixed charge-based field plate structures may provide viable approaches to changing the distribution of electric field at a transistor drain to increase the breakdown voltage of a transistor without incurring the large parasitic capacitances associated with the use of metal field plates. In one aspect, an IC structure includes a transistor, a dielectric material between gate and drain electrodes of the transistor, and an ion- or fixed charge-based region within the dielectric material, between the gate and the drain electrodes. Such an ion- or fixed charge-based region realizes an ion- or fixed charge-based field plate structure. Optionally, the IC structure may include multiple ion- or fixed charge-based field plate structures.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed for achieving multiple fin dimensions on a single die or semiconductor substrate. In some cases, multiple fin dimensions are achieved by lithographically defining (e.g., hardmasking and patterning) areas to be trimmed using a trim etch process, leaving the remainder of the die unaffected. In some such cases, the trim etch is performed on only the channel regions of the fins, when such channel regions are re-exposed during a replacement gate process. The trim etch may narrow the width of the fins being trimmed (or just the channel region of such fins) by 2-6 nm, for example. Alternatively, or in addition, the trim may reduce the height of the fins. The techniques can include any number of patterning and trimming processes to enable a variety of fin dimensions and/or fin channel dimensions on a given die, which may be useful for integrated circuit and system-on-chip (SOC) applications.