Disclosed herein is a driver circuit including first and second n-channel transistors connected together in series between first and second nodes. The first n-channel transistor is comprised of n fin transistor(s) having an identical gate length and an identical gate width where n is equal to or greater than one, and has its gate connected to a first input node. The second n-channel transistor is comprised of m fin transistors having the same gate length and the same gate width where m is greater than n, and has its gate connected to a second input node.

A semiconductor device includes: a substrate, a gate structure on the substrate, and a spacer adjacent to the gate structure, in which the spacer extends to a top surface of the gate structure, a top surface of the spacer includes a planar surface, the spacer encloses an air gap, and the spacer is composed of a single material. The gate structure includes a high-k dielectric layer, a work function metal layer, and a low resistance metal layer, in which the high-k dielectric layer is U-shaped. The semiconductor device also includes an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer around the gate structure and a hard mask on the spacer, in which the top surface of the hard mask is even with the top surface of the ILD layer.

Transistors include multiple stress liners. One or more channel structures are suspended at opposite ends from the plurality of stress liners. The stress liners provide a stress on the one or more channel structures. A gate is formed over and around the one or more channel structures, defining a channel region of the one or more channel structures that is covered by the gate. A source and drain region are formed on opposite sides of the gate.

Transistors and methods of forming the same include forming a fin of alternating layers of a channel material and a sacrificial material. Stress liners are formed in contact with both ends of the fin. The stress liners exert a stress on the fin. The sacrificial material is etched away from the fin, such that the layers of the channel material are suspended between the stress liners. A gate stack is formed over and around the suspended layers of channel material.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a fin active region formed on a semiconductor substrate and spanning between a first sidewall of a first shallow trench isolation (STI) feature and a second sidewall of a second STI feature; an anti-punch through (APT) feature of a first type conductivity; and a channel material layer of the first type conductivity, disposed on the APT feature and having a second doping concentration less than the first doping concentration. The APT feature is formed on the fin active region, spans between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and has a first doping concentration

A method of forming the semiconductor device that may include forming a trench in a substrate, and forming a metal nitride in the trench. The method may further include forming a split fin structure from the substrate. The metal nitride is positioned in the split portion of the fin structure. The method may continue with removing the metal nitride from a source region and drain region portion of the split fin structure, in which the metal nitride remains in a channel region portion of the split fin structure. A gate structure may then be formed on a channel region portion of the fin structure. A back bias is applied to the semiconductor device using the metal nitride in the split portion of the fin structure as an electrode.

A method of forming the semiconductor device that may include forming a trench in a substrate, and forming a metal nitride in the trench. The method may further include forming a split fin structure from the substrate. The metal nitride is positioned in the split portion of the fin structure. The method may continue with removing the metal nitride from a source region and drain region portion of the split fin structure, in which the metal nitride remains in a channel region portion of the split fin structure. A gate structure may then be formed on a channel region portion of the fin structure. A back bias is applied to the semiconductor device using the metal nitride in the split portion of the fin structure as an electrode.

An SGT production method includes a first step of forming a fin-shaped semiconductor layer on a semiconductor substrate and forming a first insulating film; a second step of forming a pillar-shaped semiconductor layer, a first dummy gate, and a first hard mask formed from a third insulating film; a third step of forming a second hard mask on a side wall of the first hard mask, and forming a second dummy gate; a fourth step of forming a sidewall and forming a second diffusion layer; a fifth step of depositing an interlayer insulating film, exposing upper portions of the second dummy gate and the first dummy gate, removing the second dummy gate and the first dummy gate, forming a first gate insulating film, and forming a gate electrode and a gate line; and a sixth step of forming a first contact and a second contact.

A method includes providing a substrate having a mesa, forming a first opening in the mesa, the first opening being surrounded by first inner sidewalls of the mesa exposed by the first opening. The method further includes etching from a first one of the first inner sidewalls of the mesa to form a first vertical recess, the first vertical recess having a wide end and a narrow end, with the narrow end defining a first vertically recessed channel region, and forming a first gate structure over the first vertically recessed channel region.

The disclosure relates to methods of fabricating semiconductor devices. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device is provided as follows. A target layer is formed. A hard mask layer is formed on the target layer. The hard mask layer is patterned to form an overlay mask pattern including a first mask pattern and a plateau-shaped mask pattern. The first mask pattern encloses the plateau-shaped mask pattern. The first mask pattern is spaced apart from the plateau-shaped mask pattern. The target layer is patterned using the overlay mask pattern to form a redundant fin and a plateau-shaped overlay mark. The redundant fin is removed.