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 control electrode GE1 is formed in a lower portion of a trench TR1 formed in a semiconductor substrate SUB, and a gate electrode GE2 is formed in an upper portion inside the trench TR1. An insulating film G1 is formed between the control electrode GE1 and a side wall and a bottom surface of the trench TR1, an insulating film G2 is formed between the side wall of the trench TR1 and the gate electrode GE2, and an insulating film G3 is formed between the control electrode GE1 and the gate electrode GE2. A region adjacent to the trench TR1 includes an n.sup.+-type semiconductor region NR for a source, a p-type semiconductor region PR for a channel formation, and a semiconductor region for a drain. A wiring connected to the control electrode GE1 is not connected to a wiring connected to the gate electrode GE2, and is not connected to a wiring connected to the n.sup.+-type semiconductor region NR for a source.

In some embodiments, a semiconductor surface having a high mobility semiconductor may be effectively passivated by nitridation, preferably using hydrazine, a hydrazine derivative, or a combination thereof. The surface may be the semiconductor surface of a transistor channel region. In some embodiments, a semiconductor surface oxide layer is formed at the semiconductor surface and the passivation is accomplished by forming a semiconductor oxynitride layer at the surface, with the nitridation contributing nitrogen to the surface oxide to form the oxynitride layer. The semiconductor oxide layer may be deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and the nitridation may also be conducted as part of the ALD.

A semiconductor device comprising a first metal oxide film, an oxide semiconductor film, a second metal oxide film, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode is provided. The oxide semiconductor film comprises an InGaZnO-based metal oxide. The second metal oxide film comprises a GaZnO-based metal oxide. An amount of substance of zinc oxide with respect to gallium oxide is lower than 50% in the GaZnO-based metal oxide.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a first source/drain (S/D) region, a second S/D region, and a semiconductor sheet. The first S/D region is disposed on the substrate. The second S/D region is disposed above the first S/D region. The semiconductor sheet interconnects the first and second S/D regions and includes a plurality of turns. A method for fabricating the semiconductor device is also disclosed.

Hybrid circuits are CMOS circuits that can function in two different operation modes: a normal operation mode and a power saving mode. At normal operation mode, a hybrid circuit operates in the same ways as typical CMOS circuits. At power saving mode, the standby leakage current of the circuit is reduced significantly. Typically, most parts of a hybrid circuit stay in power saving mode. A circuit block is switched into normal operation mode when it needs to operate at full speed. The resulting circuits are capable of supporting ultra-low power operations without sacrificing performance. Hybrid circuits can be implemented on integrated circuits comprising multiple-gate MOS transistors.

A method for forming a semiconductor device includes blocking a first region of a wafer and forming a plurality of fins in a second region of the wafer. A protective conformal mask layer is deposited over the plurality of fins in the second region, the second region is blocked, and a plurality of fins are formed in the first region of the wafer using a variety of wet and/or dry etching procedures. The protective conformal mask layer protects the plurality of fins in the second region from the variety of wet and/or dry etching procedures that are used to form the plurality of fins in the first region.

Methods and apparatus for quantum point contacts. In an arrangement, a quantum point contact device includes at least one well region in a portion of a semiconductor substrate and doped to a first conductivity type; a gate structure disposed on a surface of the semiconductor substrate; the gate structure further comprising a quantum point contact formed in a constricted area, the constricted area having a width and a length arranged so that a maximum dimension is less than a predetermined distance equal to about 35 nanometers; a drain/source region in the well region doped to a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type; a source/drain region in the well region doped to the second conductivity type; a first and second lightly doped drain region in the at least one well region. Additional methods and apparatus are disclosed.

A technique for forming a semiconductor device is provided. Sacrificial mandrels are formed over a hardmask layer on a semiconductor layer. Spacers are formed on sidewalls of the sacrificial mandrels. The sacrificial mandrels are removed to leave the spacers. A masking process leaves exposed a first set of spacers with a second set protected. In response to the masking process, a first fin etch process forms a first set of fins in the semiconductor layer via first set of spacers. The first set of fins has a vertical sidewall profile. Another masking process leaves exposed the second set of spacers with the first set of spacers and the first set of fins protected. In response to the other masking process, a second fin etch process forms a second set of fins in semiconductor layer using the second set of spacers. The second set of fins has a trapezoidal sidewall profile.

An integrated circuit (IC) device comprises a substrate having a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) region; a gate region disposed over the substrate and in the MOS region; and source/drain features in the MOS region and separated by the gate region. The gate region includes a fin structure and a nanowire over the fin structure. The nanowire extends from the source feature to the drain feature.