A merged fin finFET and method of fabrication. The finFET includes: two or more single-crystal semiconductor fins on a top surface of an insulating layer on semiconductor substrate, each fin of the two or more fins having a central region between and abutting first and second end regions and opposite sides, top surfaces and sidewalls of the two or more fins are (100) surfaces and the longitudinal axes of the two or more fins aligned with a [100] direction; a gate dielectric layer on each fin of the two or more fins; an electrically conductive gate over the gate dielectric layer over the central region of each fin of the of two or more fins; and a merged source/drain comprising an a continuous layer of epitaxial semiconductor material on ends of each fin of the two or more fins, the ends on a same side of the conductive gate.