Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed for selectively inducing stress in a semiconductor device, wherein a first region of a substrate is implanted so as to induce stress in a second region. An electrical device is formed at least partially in the second region, wherein the induced stress therein may improve one or more operational characteristics of the device, such as channel region carrier mobility.

Abstract: A shallow trench isolation (STJ) (10) is used to isolate two active regions (12) from each other. The advantage of STI (10) is that the upper corners (14) are rounded. Rounding of the upper corners (14) is accomplished using an oxide deglaze prior to sidewall oxidation of the trench which undercuts the pad oxide (20) from the pad nitride (22). The allows the sidewall oxidation process to form a thicker oxide at upper corners (14) which in turn, rounds the corners. Rounded corners (14) minimum the electric field strength induced by the geometry. As a result, the Vt lowering that occurs in prior art STI structures is minimized and off-state leakage due to the inherent parasitic transistor at the upper corner is reduced.