Abstract: A method of forming a field effect transistor comprises providing a substrate comprising, at least on a surface thereof, a first semiconductor material. A recess is formed in the substrate. The recess is filled with a second semiconductor material. The second semiconductor material has a different lattice constant than the first semiconductor material. A gate electrode is formed over the recess filled with the second semiconductor material.

Abstract: By forming isolation trenches of different types of intrinsic stress on the basis of separate process sequences, the strain characteristics of adjacent active semiconductor regions may be adjusted so as to obtain overall device performance. For example, highly stressed dielectric fill material including compressive and tensile stress may be appropriately provided in the respective isolation trenches in order to correspondingly adapt the charge carrier mobility of respective channel regions.

Abstract: By embedding a silicon/germanium mixture in a silicon layer of high tensile strain, a moderately high degree of tensile strain may be maintained in the silicon/germanium mixture, thereby enabling increased performance of N-channel transistors on the basis of silicon/germanium material.

Abstract: A strained semiconductor material may be positioned in close proximity to the channel region of a transistor, such as an SOI transistor, while reducing or avoiding undue relaxation effects of metal silicides and extension implantations, thereby providing enhanced efficiency for the strain generation.

Abstract: By forming a stressed dielectric layer on different transistors and subsequently relaxing a portion thereof, the overall process efficiency in an approach for creating strain in channel regions of transistors by stressed overlayers may be enhanced while nevertheless transistor performance gain may be obtained for each type of transistor, since a highly stressed material positioned above the previously relaxed portion may also efficiently affect the underlying transistor.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes providing a substrate having a first feature and a second feature. A mask is formed over the substrate. The mask covers the first feature. An ion implantation process is performed to introduce ions of a non-doping element into the second feature. The mask is adapted to absorb ions impinging on the first feature. After the ion implantation process, an annealing process is performed.

Abstract: By providing a self-biasing semiconductor switch, an SRAM cell having a reduced number of individual active components may be realized. In particular embodiments, the self-biasing semiconductor device may be provided in the form of a double channel field effect transistor that allows the formation of an SRAM cell with less than six transistor elements and, in preferred embodiments, with as few as two individual transistor elements.

Abstract: By combining an anneal process for adjusting the effective channel length and a substantially diffusion-free anneal process performed after a deep drain and source implantation, the vertical extension of the drain and source region may be increased substantially without affecting the previously adjusted channel length. In this manner, in SOI devices, the drain and source regions may extend down to the buried insulating layer, thereby reducing the parasitic capacitance, while the degree of dopant activation and thus series resistance in the extension regions may be improved. Furthermore, less critical process parameters during the anneal process for adjusting the channel length may provide the potential for reducing the lateral dimensions of the transistor devices.

Abstract: By providing a self-biasing semiconductor switch, an SRAM cell having a reduced number of individual active components may be realized. In particular embodiments, the self-biasing semiconductor device may be provided in the form of a double channel field effect transistor that allows the formation of an SRAM cell with less than six transistor elements and, in preferred embodiments, with as few as two individual transistor elements.

Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprises providing a semiconductor substrate. A feature is formed over the substrate. The feature is substantially homogeneous in a lateral direction. A first ion implantation process adapted to introduce first dopant ions into at least one portion of the substrate adjacent the feature is performed. The length of the feature in the lateral direction is reduced. After the reduction of the length of the feature, a second ion implantation process adapted to introduce second dopant ions into at least one portion of the substrate adjacent the feature is performed. The feature may be a gate electrode of a field effect transistor to be formed over the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: By predoping of a layer of deposited semiconductor gate material by incorporating dopants during the deposition process, a high uniformity of the dopant distribution may be achieved in the gate electrodes of CMOS devices subsequently formed in the layer of gate material. The improved uniformity of the dopant distribution results in reduced gate depletion and reduced threshold voltage shift in the transistors of the CMOS devices.

Abstract: By combining a respectively adapted lattice mismatch between a first semiconductor material in a channel region and an embedded second semiconductor material in an source/drain region of a transistor, the strain transfer into the channel region is increased. According to one embodiment of the invention, the lattice mismatch may be adapted by a biaxial strain in the first semiconductor material. According to one embodiment, the lattice mismatch may be adjusted by a biaxial strain in the first semiconductor material. In particular, the strain transfer of strain sources including the embedded second semiconductor material as well as a strained overlayer is increased. According to one illustrative embodiment, regions of different biaxial strain may be provided for different transistor types.

Abstract: By removing a portion of a halo region or by avoiding the formation of the halo region within the extension region, which may be subsequently formed on the basis of a re-grown semiconductor material, the threshold roll off behavior may be significantly improved, wherein an enhanced current drive capability may simultaneously be achieved.

Abstract: By forming a deep recess through the buried insulating layer and re-growing a strained semiconductor material, an enhanced strain generation mechanism may be provided in SOI-like transistors. Consequently, the strain may also be efficiently created by the embedded strained semiconductor material across the entire active layer, thereby significantly enhancing the performance of transistor devices, in which two channel regions may be defined.

Abstract: By direct bonding of two crystalline semiconductor layers of different crystallographic orientation and/or material composition and/or internal strain, bulk-like hybrid substrates may be formed, thereby providing the potential for forming semiconductor devices in accordance with a single transistor architecture on the hybrid substrate.

Abstract: By forming a substantially continuous and uniform semiconductor alloy in one active region while patterning the semiconductor alloy in a second active region so as to provide a base semiconductor material in a central portion thereof, different types of strain may be induced, while, after providing a corresponding cover layer of the base semiconductor material, well-established process techniques for forming the gate dielectric may be used. In some illustrative embodiments, a substantially self-aligned process is provided in which the gate electrode may be formed on the basis of layer, which has also been used for defining the central portion of the base semiconductor material of one of the active regions. Hence, by using a single semiconductor alloy, the performance of transistors of different conductivity types may be individually enhanced.

Abstract: By omitting a growth mask or by omitting lithographical patterning processes for forming growth masks, a significant reduction in process complexity may be obtained for the formation of different strained semiconductor materials in different transistor types. Moreover, the formation of individually positioned semiconductor materials in different transistors may be accomplished on the basis of a differential disposable spacer approach, thereby combining high efficiency with low process complexity even for highly advanced SOI transistor devices.

Abstract: By forming isolation trenches of different types of intrinsic stress on the basis of separate process sequences, the strain characteristics of adjacent active semiconductor regions may be adjusted so as to obtain overall device performance. For example, highly stressed dielectric fill material including compressive and tensile stress may be appropriately provided in the respective isolation trenches in order to correspondingly adapt the charge carrier mobility of respective channel regions.

Abstract: By increasing the transistor topography after forming a first layer of highly stressed dielectric material, additional stressed material may be added, thereby efficiently increasing the entire layer thickness of the stressed dielectric material. The corresponding increase of device topography may be accomplished on the basis of respective placeholder structures or dummy gates, wherein well-established gate patterning processes may be used or wherein nano-imprint techniques may be employed. Hence, in some illustrative embodiments, a significant increase of strain may be obtained on the basis of well-established process techniques.

Abstract: A method of forming a field effect transistor comprises providing a substrate comprising, at least on a surface thereof, a first semiconductor material. A recess is formed in the substrate. The recess is filled with a second semiconductor material. The second semiconductor material has a different lattice constant than the first semiconductor material. A gate electrode is formed over the recess filled with the second semiconductor material.