Abstract:
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, performing an epitaxial deposition process to form an epi SiGe layer above a recessed layer of insulating material and on an exposed portion of a fin, wherein the concentration of germanium in the layer of epi silicon-germanium (SixGe1-x) is equal to or greater than a target concentration of germanium for the final fin, performing a thermal anneal process in an inert processing environment to cause germanium in the epi SiGe to diffuse into the fin and thereby define an SiGe region in the fin, after performing the thermal anneal process, performing at least one process operation to remove the epi SiGe and, after removing the epi SiGe, forming a gate structure around at least a portion of the SiGe region.
Abstract:
One method disclosed herein includes forming a layer of silicon/germanium having a germanium concentration of at least 30% on a semiconducting substrate, forming a plurality of spaced-apart trenches that extend through the layer of silicon/germanium and at least partially into the semiconducting substrate, wherein the trenches define a fin structure for the device comprised of a portion of the substrate and a portion of the layer of silicon/germanium, the portion of the layer of silicon/germanium having a first cross-sectional configuration, forming a layer of insulating material in the trenches and above the fin structure, performing an anneal process on the device so as to cause the first cross-sectional configuration of the layer of silicon/germanium to change to a second cross-sectional configuration that is different from the first cross-sectional configuration, and forming a final gate structure around at least a portion of the layer of silicon/germanium having the second cross-sectional configuration.
Abstract:
Semiconductor structures and fabrication methods are provided which includes, for instance, fabricating a semiconductor fin structure by: providing a fin structure extending above a substrate, the fin structure including a first fin portion, a second fin portion disposed over the first fin portion, and an interface between the first and the second fin portions, where the first fin portion and the second fin portion are lattice mismatched within the fin structure; and modifying, in part, the fin structure to obtain a modified fin structure, the modifying including selectively oxidizing the interface to form an isolation region within the modified fin structure, where the isolation region electrically insulates the first fin portion from the second fin portion, while maintaining structural stability of the modified fin structure.
Abstract:
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a composite fin structure that is comprised of a first germanium-containing semiconductor material having a first concentration of germanium and a tensile-strained second semiconductor material (having a lesser germanium concentration) positioned on the first germanium-containing semiconductor material and performing a thermal anneal process to convert the first germanium-containing semiconductor material portion of the composite fin structure into a germanium-containing oxide isolation region positioned under the second semiconductor material that is a tensile-strained final fin for an NMOS FinFET device.
Abstract:
Semiconductor structures and fabrication methods are provided which includes, for instance, fabricating a semiconductor fin structure by: providing a fin structure extending above a substrate, the fin structure including a first fin portion, a second fin portion disposed over the first fin portion, and an interface between the first and the second fin portions, where the first fin portion and the second fin portion are lattice mismatched within the fin structure; and modifying, in part, the fin structure to obtain a modified fin structure, the modifying including selectively oxidizing the interface to form an isolation region within the modified fin structure, where the isolation region electrically insulates the first fin portion from the second fin portion, while maintaining structural stability of the modified fin structure.
Abstract:
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, performing first and second in situ doping, epitaxial deposition processes to form first and second layers of in situ doped epi semiconductor material, respectively, above a semiconductor substrate, wherein one of the first and second layers has a high level of germanium and a low level of P-type dopant material and the other of the first and second layers has a low level of germanium and a high level of P-type dopant material, and performing a mixing thermal anneal process on the first and second layers so as to form the final silicon germanium material having a high level of germanium and a high level of P-type dopant material.
Abstract:
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, forming a layer of insulating material in the source/drain regions of the device, wherein the layer of insulating material has an upper surface that is substantially planar with an upper surface of a gate cap layer, recessing the layer of insulating material such that its recessed upper surface exposes a surface of the fin, performing another etching process to remove at least a portion of the fin and thereby define a recessed fin trench positioned above the recessed fin, and forming an epitaxial semiconductor material that is at least partially positioned in the recessed fin trench.
Abstract:
A method of creating a virtual relaxed substrate includes providing a bulk semiconductor substrate, and creating a layer of strained semiconductor material on the substrate, a non-zero lattice mismatch of less than about 2% being present between the substrate and the layer of strained semiconductor material, and the layer of strained semiconductor material having a thickness of from about 50 nm to about 150 nm. The method further includes etching through the layer of strained semiconductor material and into the substrate to create shaped pillars separated by slits and sized to achieve edge effect relaxation throughout each shaped pillar, merging a top portion of the pillars with single crystal growth of epitaxial material to create a continuous surface while substantially maintaining the slits, and creating a virtual relaxed substrate by creating a layer of epitaxial composite semiconductor material over the continuous surface.
Abstract:
One illustrative method disclosed herein includes, among other things, performing an epitaxial deposition process to form an epi SiGe layer above a recessed layer of insulating material and on an exposed portion of a fin, wherein the concentration of germanium in the layer of epi silicon-germanium (SixGe1-x) is equal to or greater than a target concentration of germanium for the final fin, performing a thermal anneal process in an inert processing environment to cause germanium in the epi SiGe to diffuse into the fin and thereby define an SiGe region in the fin, after performing the thermal anneal process, performing at least one process operation to remove the epi SiGe and, after removing the epi SiGe, forming a gate structure around at least a portion of the SiGe region.
Abstract:
Forming a plurality of initial trenches that extend through a layer of silicon-germanium and into a substrate to define an initial fin structure comprised of a portion of the layer of germanium-containing material and a first portion of the substrate, forming sidewall spacers adjacent the initial fin structure, performing an etching process to extend the initial depth of the initial trenches, thereby forming a plurality of final trenches having a final depth that is greater than the initial depth and defining a second portion of the substrate positioned under the first portion of the substrate, forming a layer of insulating material over-filling the final trenches and performing a thermal anneal process to convert at least a portion of the first or second portions of the substrate into a silicon dioxide isolation material that extends laterally under an entire width of the portion of the germanium-containing material.