Abstract: Oxidation methods, which avoid consuming undesirably large amounts of surface material in Si/SiGe heterostructure-based wafers, replace various intermediate CMOS thermal oxidation steps. First, by using oxide deposition methods, arbitrarily thick oxides may be formed with little or no consumption of surface silicon. These oxides, such as screening oxide and pad oxide, are formed by deposition onto, rather than reaction with and consumption of the surface layer. Alternatively, oxide deposition is preceded by a thermal oxidation step of short duration, e.g., rapid thermal oxidation. Here, the short thermal oxidation consumes little surface Si, and the Si/oxide interface is of high quality. The oxide may then be thickened to a desired final thickness by deposition. Furthermore, the thin thermal oxide may act as a barrier layer to prevent contamination associated with subsequent oxide deposition.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device including providing a semiconductor heterostructure, the heterostructure having a relaxed Si1-xGex layer on a substrate, a strained channel layer on the relaxed Si1-xGex layer, and a Si1-yGey layer; removing the Si1-yGey layer; and providing a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer includes a gate dielectric of a MISFET. In alternative embodiments, the heterostructure includes a SiGe spacer layer and a Si layer.

Abstract: A method of fabricating a semiconductor device including providing a semiconductor heterostructure, the heterostructure having a relaxed Si1?xGex layer on a substrate, a strained channel layer on the relaxed Si1?xGex layer, and a Si1?yGey layer; removing the Si1?yGey layer; and providing a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer includes a gate dielectric of a MISFET. In alternative embodiments, the heterostructure includes a SiGe spacer layer and a Si layer.

Abstract: Monolithic lattice-mismatched semiconductor heterostructures are fabricated by bonding patterned substrates with alternative active-area materials formed thereon to a rigid dielectric platform and then removing the highly-defective interface areas along with the underlying substrates to produce alternative active-area regions disposed over the insulator and substantially exhausted of misfit and threading dislocations.

Abstract: Monolithic lattice-mismatched semiconductor heterostructures are fabricated by bonding patterned substrates with alternative active-area materials formed thereon to a rigid dielectric platform and then removing the highly-defective interface areas along with the underlying substrates to produce alternative active-area regions disposed over the insulator and substantially exhausted of misfit and threading dislocations.

Abstract: Oxidation methods, which avoid consuming undesirably large amounts of surface material in Si/SiGe heterostructure-based wafers, replace various intermediate CMOS thermal oxidation steps. First, by using oxide deposition methods, arbitrarily thick oxides may be formed with little or no consumption of surface silicon. These oxides, such as screening oxide and pad oxide, are formed by deposition onto, rather than reaction with and consumption of the surface layer. Alternatively, oxide deposition is preceded by a thermal oxidation step of short duration, e.g., rapid thermal oxidation. Here, the short thermal oxidation consumes little surface Si, and the Si/oxide interface is of high quality. The oxide may then be thickened to a desired final thickness by deposition. Furthermore, the thin thermal oxide may act as a barrier layer to prevent contamination associated with subsequent oxide deposition.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure includes a strain-inducing substrate layer having a germanium concentration of at least 10 atomic %. The semiconductor structure also includes a compressively strained layer on the strain-inducing substrate layer. The compressively strained layer has a germanium concentration at least approximately 30 percentage points greater than the germanium concentration of the strain-inducing substrate layer, and has a thickness less than its critical thickness. The semiconductor structure also includes a tensilely strained layer on the compressively strained layer. The tensilely strained layer may be formed from silicon having a thickness less than its critical thickness.

Abstract: A structure having a dielectric layer that includes a dielectric material comprising a first metal nitride, and an electrode layer disposed over the dielectric layer, the electrode layer comprising a second metal nitride, with the first metal nitride and the second metal nitride having at least one metal in common. Alternatively, structure has a dielectric layer including a dielectric material comprising a metal oxide, and an electrode layer disposed over the dielectric layer, the electrode layer comprising a metal nitride. The metal oxide and the metal nitride each comprise at least one of a rare earth metal, a group IIIA metal, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, and a transition metal, and the metal oxide and the metal nitride comprise the same metal. An interfacial layer may be disposed under the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A method for forming a semiconductor structure, the method including forming in a processing chamber a dielectric layer over a substrate; and subsequently forming, in the same processing chamber and without removing the substrate therefrom, an electrode layer directly over and in contact with the dielectric layer.

Abstract: Fabrication of monolithic lattice-mismatched semiconductor heterostructures with limited area regions having upper portions substantially exhausted of threading dislocations, as well as fabrication of semiconductor devices based on such lattice-mismatched heterostructures.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure having a substrate with a surface layer including strained silicon. The surface layer has a first region with a first thickness less than a second thickness of a second region. A gate dielectric layer is disposed over a portion of at least the first surface layer region.

Abstract: In forming an electronic device, a semiconductor layer is pre-doped and a dopant distribution anneal is performed prior to gate definition. Alternatively, the gate is formed from a metal. Subsequently formed shallow sources and drains, therefore, are not affected by the gate annealing step.

Abstract: The benefits of strained semiconductors are combined with silicon-on-insulator approaches to substrate and device fabrication.

Abstract: The benefits of strained semiconductors are combined with silicon-on-insulator approaches to substrate and device fabrication.

Abstract: The benefits of strained semiconductors are combined with silicon-on-insulator approaches to substrate and device fabrication.

Abstract: The benefits of strained semiconductors are combined with silicon-on-insulator approaches to substrate and device fabrication.

Abstract: The benefits of strained semiconductors are combined with silicon-on-insulator approaches to substrate and device fabrication.

Abstract: A method for minimizing particle generation during deposition of a graded Si1-xGex layer on a semiconductor material includes providing a substrate in an atmosphere including a Si precursor and a Ge precursor, wherein the Ge precursor has a decomposition temperature greater than germane, and depositing the graded Si1-xGex layer having a final Ge content of greater than about 0.15 and a particle density of less than about 0.3 particles/cm2 on the substrate.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating multi-layer semiconductor structures including strained material layers using a minimum number of process tools and under conditions optimized for each layer. Certain regions of the strained material layers are kept free of impurities that can interdiffuse from adjacent portions of the semiconductor. When impurities are present in certain regions of the strained material layers, there is degradation in device performance. By employing semiconductor structures and devices (e.g., field effect transistors or “FETs”) that have the features described, or are fabricated in accordance with the steps described, device operation is enhanced.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating multi-layer semiconductor structures including strained material layers using a minimum number of process tools and under conditions optimized for each layer. Certain regions of the strained material layers are kept free of impurities that can interdiffuse from adjacent portions of the semiconductor. When impurities are present in certain regions of the strained material layers, there is degradation in device performance. By employing semiconductor structures and devices (e.g., field effect transistors or “FETs”) that have the features described, or are fabricated in accordance with the steps described, device operation is enhanced.