The present invention provides a semiconductor device and a method of forming thereof, in which a uniaxial strain is produced in the device channel of the semiconductor device. The uniaxial strain may be in tension or in compression and is in a direction parallel to the device channel. The uniaxial strain can be produced in a biaxially strained substrate surface by strain inducing liners, strain inducing wells or a combination thereof. The uniaxial strain may be produced in a relaxed substrate by the combination of strain inducing wells and a strain inducing liner. The present invention also provides a means for increasing biaxial strain with strain inducing isolation regions. The present invention further provides CMOS devices in which the device regions of the CMOS substrate may be independently processed to provide uniaxially strained semiconducting surfaces in compression or tension.