The present invention provides a semiconductor element that can be manufactured easily at a low cost, can obtain a high tunneling current, and has an excellent operating characteristic, a method for manufacturing the same, and a semiconductor integrated circuit including the semiconductor element. The semiconductor element of the present invention is characterized in that the whole or a part of a tunnel junction is constituted by a semiconductor region made of an indirect-transition semiconductor containing isoelectronic-trap-forming impurities.

A Method for producing a layer of strained semiconductor material, the method comprising steps for: a) formation on a substrate of a stack comprising a first semiconductor layer based on a first semiconductor material coated with a second semiconductor layer based on a second semiconductor material having a different lattice parameter to that of the first semiconductor material, b) producing on the second semiconductor layer a mask having a symmetry, c) rendering amorphous the first semiconductor layer along with zones of the second semiconductor layer without rendering amorphous one or a plurality of regions of the second semiconductor layer protected by the mask and arranged respectively opposite the masking block(s), d) performing recrystallization of the regions rendered amorphous and the first semiconductor layer resulting in this first semiconductor layer being strained (FIG. 1A).

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a channel layer on a substrate. A gate dielectric is deposited on the channel layer, and a mask is patterned on the gate dielectric. An exposed portion of the gate dielectric is removed to expose a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region of the channel layer. A first source/drain contact is formed on the first source/drain region and a second source/drain contact is formed on the second source/drain region. A cap layer is formed over the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact, and the mask is removed. Spacers are formed adjacent to sidewalls of the first source/drain contact and the second source/drain contact. An oxide region is formed in the cap layer and a carbon material is deposited on an exposed portion of the gate dielectric.

A strained semiconductor layer is produced from a semiconductor layer extending on an insulating layer. A thermal oxidization is performed on the semiconductor layer across its entire thickness to form two bars extending in a direction of a transistor width. Insulating trenches are formed in a direction of a transistor length. A strain of the strained semiconductor layer is induced in one implementation before the thermal oxidation is performed. Alternatively, the strain is induced after the thermal oxidation is performed. The insulating trenches serve to release a component of the strain extending in the direction of transistor width. A component of the strain extending in the direction of transistor length is maintained. The bars and trenches delimit an active area of the transistor include source, drain and channel regions.

A tunneling field-effect transistor may be provided that includes: a substrate; a source which is formed on the substrate and into which p+ type impurity ion is injected; a drain which is formed on the substrate and into which n+ type impurity ion is injected; a plurality of vertically stacked nanowire channels which are formed on the substrate; a gate insulation layer which is formed on the plurality of nanowire channels; and a gate which is formed on the gate insulation layer. As a result, it is possible to generate a higher driving current without changing the length of the gate and the area of the channel (degree of integration).

A semiconductor device includes a gate region, a conductive cap, and an interconnect. The gate region (e.g., a metal-gate transistor) includes a metal gate region and a high dielectric constant (high-K) gate dielectric region. The conductive cap is disposed on a surface of the metal gate region and on a surface of the high-K gate dielectric region, and the interconnect is disposed on the conductive cap. The conductive cap includes a conductive material that electrically connects the gate region to the interconnect.

The symmetric LDMOS transistor comprises a semiconductor substrate (1), a well (2) of a first type of conductivity in the substrate, and wells (3) of an opposite second type of conductivity. The wells (3) of the second type of conductivity are arranged at a distance from one another. Source/drain regions (4) are arranged in the wells of the second type of conductivity. A gate dielectric (7) is arranged on the substrate, and a gate electrode (8) on the gate dielectric. A doped region (10) of the second type of conductivity is arranged between the wells of the second type of conductivity at a distance from the wells. The gate electrode has a gap (9) above the doped region (10), and the gate electrode overlaps regions that are located between the wells (3) of the second type of conductivity and the doped region (10).

Methods form transistor structures that include, among other components, a substrate having an active region bordered by an isolation region, a gate insulator on the substrate, and a gate conductor on the gate insulator. First and second sections of the gate conductor are within the active region of the substrate, while a third section is in the isolation region of the substrate. The second section of the gate conductor tapers from the width of the first section to the width of the wider third section. The first section and the second section of the gate conductor have undercut regions where the corner of the gate conductor contacts the substrate. The third section of the gate conductor lacks the undercut regions. The gate insulator is relatively thicker in the undercut regions and is relatively thinner where the corner of the gate conductor lacks the undercut regions in the isolation region.

A method of forming an electronic device includes forming an oxygen scavenging layer proximate to a dielectric layer in a gate region of a field effect transistor (FET). The interface layer is between the dielectric layer and a substrate of the FET. The method further includes forming a dipole layer by annealing the oxygen scavenging layer, the dielectric layer, and the interface layer.

The reliability of a semiconductor device is improved. In a manufacturing method, a film to be processed is formed over a circular semiconductor substrate, and a resist layer whose surface has a water-repellent property is formed thereover. Subsequently, the water-repellent property of the resist layer in the outer peripheral region of the circular semiconductor substrate is lowered by selectively performing first wafer edge exposure on the outer peripheral region of the semiconductor substrate, and then liquid immersion exposure is performed on the resist layer. Subsequently, second wafer edge exposure is performed on the outer peripheral region of the circular semiconductor substrate, and then the resist layer, on which the first wafer edge exposure, the liquid immersion exposure, and the second wafer edge exposure have been performed, is developed, so that the film to be processed is etched by using the developed resist layer.