A method for forming a semiconductor device comprises forming a first buffer layer with a first melting point on a substrate. A second buffer layer is formed on the first buffer layer. The second buffer layer has a second melting point that is greater than the first melting point. Annealing process is performed that increases a temperature of the first buffer layer such that the first buffer layer partially liquefies and causes a strain in the second buffer layer to be substantially reduced.

A silicon germanium alloy (SiGe) fin having a first germanium content is provided within first and second device regions. Each SiGe fin is located on a sacrificial material stack and an oxide material surrounds each SiGe fin. A germanium layer is formed atop each SiGe fin within one of the device regions, while a SiGe layer having a second germanium content less than the first germanium content is formed atop each SiGe fin within the other device region. An exposed surface of each of the germanium layer and the SiGe layer is then bonded to a base substrate. The sacrificial material stack is removed and thereafter the oxide material is recessed to expose a portion of each SiGe fin in the first and second device regions. Each SiGe fin contacting the germanium layer compressively strained, and each SiGe fin contacting the SiGe layer is tensely strained.

A method of forming SRB finFET fins first with a cut mask that is perpendicular to the subsequent fin direction and then with a cut mask that is parallel to the fin direction and the resulting device are provided. Embodiments include forming a SiGe SRB on a substrate; forming a Si layer over the SRB; forming an NFET channel and a SiGe PFET channel in the Si layer; forming cuts through the NFET and PFET channels, respectively, and the SRB down to the substrate, the cuts formed on opposite ends of the substrate and perpendicular to the NFET and PFET channels; forming fins in the SRB and the NFET and PFET channels, the fins formed perpendicular to the cuts; forming a cut between the NFET and PFET channels, the cut formed parallel to the fins; filling the cut with oxide; and recessing the oxide down to the SRB.

A semiconductor device includes an isolation layer, first and second fin structures, a gate structure and a source/drain structure. The isolation layer is disposed over a substrate. The first and second fin structures are disposed over the substrate, and extend in a first direction in plan view. Upper portions of the first and second fin structures are exposed from the isolation layer. The gate structure is disposed over parts of the first and second fin structures, and extends in a second direction crossing the first direction. The source/drain structure is formed on the upper portions of the first and second fin structures, which are not covered by the first gate structure and exposed from the isolation layer, and wraps side surfaces and a top surface of each of the exposed first and second fin structures. A void is formed between the source/drain structure and the isolation layer.

Trenches (and processes for forming the trenches) are provided that reduce or prevent crystaline defects in selective epitaxial growth of type III-V or Germanium (Ge) material (e.g., a buffer material) from a top surface of a substrate material. The defects may result from collision of selective epitaxial sidewall growth with oxide trench sidewalls. Such trenches include (1) a trench having sloped sidewalls at an angle of between 40 degrees and 70 degrees (e.g., such as 55 degrees) with respect to a substrate surface; and/or (2) a combined trench having an upper trench over and surrounding the opening of a lower trench (e.g., the lower trench may have the sloped sidewalls, short vertical walls, or tall vertical walls). These trenches reduce or prevent defects in the epitaxial sidewall growth where the growth touches or grows against vertical sidewalls of a trench it is grown in.

Present embodiments provide for a complementary nanowire semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof. The fabrication method comprises providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a NMOS active region, a PMOS active region and a shallow trench isolation (STI) region; forming a plurality of first hexagonal epitaxial wires on the NMOS active region and the PMOS active region by selective epitaxially growing a germanium (Ge) crystal material; selectively etching the substrate to suspend the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires on the substrate; forming a plurality of second hexagonal epitaxial wires on the NMOS active region by selective epitaxially growing a III-V semiconductor crystal material surrounding the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires on the NMOS active region; depositing a dielectric material on the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires, wherein the dielectric material covers the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires; and depositing a conducting material on the dielectric material for forming a gate electrode surrounding the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires, wherein the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires are a plurality of first nanowires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires are a plurality of second nanowires.

Present embodiments provide for a complementary nanowire semiconductor device and fabrication method thereof. The fabrication method comprises providing a substrate, wherein the substrate has a NMOS active region, a PMOS active region and a shallow trench isolation (STI) region; forming a plurality of first hexagonal epitaxial wires on the NMOS active region and the PMOS active region by selective epitaxially growing a germanium (Ge) crystal material; selectively etching the substrate to suspend the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires on the substrate; forming a plurality of second hexagonal epitaxial wires on the NMOS active region by selective epitaxially growing a III-V semiconductor crystal material surrounding the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires on the NMOS active region; depositing a dielectric material on the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires, wherein the dielectric material covers the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires; and depositing a conducting material on the dielectric material for forming a gate electrode surrounding the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires, wherein the pluralities of first hexagonal epitaxial wires are a plurality of first nanowires and the pluralities of second hexagonal epitaxial wires are a plurality of second nanowires.

An integrated circuit (IC) device includes a pair of fin-shaped active areas that are adjacent to each other with a fin separation area therebetween, the pair of fin-shaped active areas extend in a line, and a fin separation insulating structure in the fin separation area, wherein the pair of fin-shaped active areas includes a first fin-shaped active area having a first corner defining part of the fin separation area, and wherein the fin separation insulating structure includes a lower insulating pattern that covers sidewalls of the pair of fin-shaped active areas, and an upper insulating pattern on the lower insulating pattern to cover at least part of the first corner, the upper insulating pattern having a top surface at a level higher than a top surface of each of the pair of fin-shaped active areas.

An embodiment fin field effect transistor (FinFET) device includes fins formed from a semiconductor substrate, a non-recessed shallow trench isolation (STI) region disposed between the fins, and a dummy gate disposed on the non-recessed STI region.

Disclosed are methods to form a FinFET diode of high efficiency, designed to resolve the degradation problem with a conventional FinFET diode arising from reduced active area, and a method of fabrication. The FinFET diode has a doped substrate, two spaced-apart groups of semiconductor fin structures, dielectric layers formed between the two groups and among the fin structures for insulation, a plurality of gate structures perpendicularly traversing both groups of the fin structures, and two groups of semiconductor strips respectively formed lengthwise upon the two groups of the fin structures. The two groups of semiconductor strips are doped to have opposite conductivity types, p-type and n-type. In an embodiment, the FinFET diode further has metal contacts formed upon the semiconductor strips. In another embodiment, the semiconductor strips may be integrally formed with the fin structures by epitaxial growth and in-situ doped.