A memory cell which is a non-volatile memory cell includes a gate insulating film having a charge storage layer capable of retaining charge and a memory gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. The charge storage layer includes a first insulating film containing hafnium and silicon and a second insulating film formed on the first insulating film and containing hafnium and silicon. Here, a hafnium concentration of the first insulating film is lower than a hafnium concentration of the second insulating film, and a bandgap of the first insulating film is larger than a bandgap of the second insulating film.

A memory cell which is a non-volatile memory cell includes a gate insulating film having a charge storage layer capable of retaining charge and a memory gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film. The charge storage layer includes a first insulating film containing hafnium and silicon and a second insulating film formed on the first insulating film and containing hafnium and silicon. Here, a hafnium concentration of the first insulating film is lower than a hafnium concentration of the second insulating film, and a bandgap of the first insulating film is larger than a bandgap of the second insulating film.

A semiconductor device includes a first channel region disposed over a substrate, and a first gate structure disposed over the first channel region. The first gate structure includes a gate dielectric layer disposed over the channel region, a lower conductive gate layer disposed over the gate dielectric layer, a ferroelectric material layer disposed over the lower conductive gate layer, and an upper conductive gate layer disposed over the ferroelectric material layer. The ferroelectric material layer is in direct contact with the gate dielectric layer and the lower gate conductive layer, and has a U-shape cross section.

Methods and structures for forming strained-channel finFETs are described. Fin structures for finFETs may be formed in two epitaxial layers that are grown over a bulk substrate. A first thin epitaxial layer may be cut and used to impart strain to an adjacent channel region of the finFET via elastic relaxation. The structures exhibit a preferred design range for increasing induced strain and uniformity of the strain over the fin height.

Single gate and dual gate FinFET devices suitable for use in an SRAM memory array have respective fins, source regions, and drain regions that are formed from portions of a single, contiguous layer on the semiconductor substrate, so that STI is unnecessary. Pairs of FinFETs can be configured as dependent-gate devices wherein adjacent channels are controlled by a common gate, or as independent-gate devices wherein one channel is controlled by two gates. Metal interconnects coupling a plurality of the FinFET devices are made of a same material as the gate electrodes. Such structural and material commonalities help to reduce costs of manufacturing high-density memory arrays.

A fin-type field effect transistor comprising a substrate, at least one gate stack and epitaxy material portions is described. The substrate has fins and insulators located between the fins, and the fins include channel portions and flank portions beside the channel portions. The at least one gate stack is disposed over the insulators and over the channel portions of the fins. The epitaxy material portions are disposed over the flank portions of the fins and at two opposite sides of the at least one gate stack. The epitaxy material portions disposed on the flank portions of the fins are separate from one another.

A FinFET device and a method of forming the same are provided. The method includes forming semiconductor strips over a substrate. Isolation regions are formed over the substrate and between adjacent semiconductor strips. A first recess process is performed on the isolation regions to expose first portions of the semiconductor strips. The first portions of the semiconductor strips are reshaped to form reshaped first portions of the semiconductor strips. A second recess process is performed on the isolation regions to expose second portions of the semiconductor strips below the reshaped first portions of the semiconductor strips. The second portions of the semiconductor strips are reshaped to form reshaped second portions of the semiconductor strips. The reshaped first portions of the semiconductor strips and the reshaped second portions of the semiconductor strips form fins. The fins extend away from topmost surfaces of the isolation regions.

An integrated circuits (IC) includes a standard cell array and a SRAM cell array. The standard cell array includes standard cells having first P-type transistors arranged in a first column of the standard cell array and a first fin structure shared by the first P-type transistors. The SRAM cell array includes SRAM cells having second P-type transistors arranged in a second column of the SRAM cell array and second fin structures arranged in the second column. Each of the second fin structures is shared by two adjacent second P-type transistors respectively disposed in two adjacent SRAM cells. A material of the first fin structure is different from a material of the second fin structures. A dimension of the first fin structure along the first column is greater than a dimension of each of the second fin structures along the second column.

A semiconductor device may include a semiconductor fin, a source/drain region extending from the semiconductor fin, and a gate electrode over the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor fin may include a first well and a channel region over the first well. The first well may have a first dopant at a first dopant concentration and the channel region may have the first dopant at a second dopant concentration smaller than the first dopant concentration. The first dopant concentration may be in range from 10.sup.17 atoms/cm.sup.3 to 10.sup.19 atoms/cm.sup.3.

A semiconductor storage device includes a first stacked body including first insulating films and first conductive films that are alternately stacked in a first direction. A first columnar body and a second columnar body extend within the first stacked body in the first direction. A second conductive film is provided above the first stacked body, and extends in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction. A third insulator is adjacent to the second conductive film and extends in the third direction. A third conductive film is adjacent to the third insulator and extends in the third direction. A third columnar body is provided on the first columnar body. A fourth columnar body is provided on the second columnar body. A thickness of a third semiconductor portion in the first direction is greater than a thickness of the second conductive film in the first direction.