One illustrative device includes, among other things, at least one fin defined in a semiconductor substrate and a substantially vertical nanowire having an oval-shaped cross-section disposed on a top surface of the at least one fin.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having isolation regions formed therein and a fin-shaped semiconductor structure protruding vertically above the isolation regions and extending laterally in a first direction. The device additionally includes a gate dielectric wrapping a channel region of the fin-shaped semiconductor structure and a gate electrode wrapping the gate dielectric. The channel region is interposed in the first direction between a source region and a drain region and has sloped sidewalls and a width that continuously decreases from a base towards a peak of the channel region. The channel region comprises a volume inversion region having a height greater than about 25% of a total height of the channel region.

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.

A fin field effect transistor (fin FET) is formed using a bulk silicon substrate and sufficiently guarantees a top channel length formed under a gate, by forming a recess having a predetermined depth in a fin active region and then by forming the gate in an upper part of the recess. A device isolation film is formed to define a non-active region and a fin active region in a predetermined region of the substrate. In a portion of the device isolation film a first recess is formed, and in a portion of the fin active region a second recess having a depth shallower than the first recess is formed. A gate insulation layer is formed within the second recess, and a gate is formed in an upper part of the second recess. A source/drain region is formed in the fin active region of both sides of a gate electrode.

Operations in fabricating a Fin FET include providing a substrate having a fin structure, where an upper portion of the fin structure has a first fin surface profile. An isolation region is formed on the substrate and in contact with the fin structure. A portion of the isolation region is recessed by an etch process to form a recessed portion and to expose the upper portion of the fin structure, where the recessed portion has a first isolation surface profile. A thermal hydrogen treatment is applied to the fin structure and the recessed portion. A gate dielectric layer is formed with a substantially uniform thickness over the fin structure, where the recessed portion is adjusted from the first isolation surface profile to a second isolation surface profile and the fin structure is adjusted from the first fin surface profile to a second fin surface profile by the thermal hydrogen treatment.

Methods of manufacturing a semiconductor device are provided. The methods may include forming a fin-type active region protruding from a substrate and forming a gate insulating film covering a top surface and both sidewalls of the fin-type active region. The gate insulating film may include a high-k dielectric film. The methods may also include forming a metal-containing layer on the gate insulating film, forming a silicon capping layer containing hydrogen atoms on the metal-containing layer, removing a portion of the hydrogen atoms contained in the silicon capping layer, removing the silicon capping layer and at least a portion of the metal-containing layer, and forming a gate electrode on the gate insulating film. The gate electrode may cover the top surface and the both sidewalls of the fin-type active region.

A semiconductor device including a substrate includes a first region and a second region and first and second transistors in the first and second regions, respectively. The first transistor includes a first gate insulating layer on the substrate, a first lower TiN layer on and in contact with the first gate insulating layer, a first etch-stop layer on the first lower TiN layer and a first upper gate electrode on the first etch-stop layer. The second transistor includes a second gate insulating layer on the substrate, a second lower TiN layer on and in contact with the second gate insulating layer, a second etch-stop layer on the second lower TiN layer and a second upper gate electrode on the second etch-stop layer. A thickness of the first lower TiN layer is less than a thickness of the second lower TiN layer

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a fin-shaped active region that protrudes from the substrate; a gate insulating film covering a top surface and both side walls of the fin-shaped active region; a gate electrode on the top surface and the both side walls of the fin-shaped active region and covering the gate insulating film; one pair of insulating spacers on both side walls of the gate electrode; and a source region and a drain region on the substrate and respectively located on sides of the gate electrode. The source region and the drain region form a source/drain pair. The one pair of insulating spacers include protrusions that protrude from upper portions of the one pair of insulating spacers toward the gate electrode.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including a fin-shaped active region that protrudes from the substrate, a gate insulating film covering a top surface and both side walls of the fin-shaped active region, a gate electrode on the top surface and the both side walls of the fin-shaped active region and covering the gate insulating film, one pair of insulating spacers on both side walls of the gate electrode, one pair of source/drain region on the fin-shaped active region and located on both sides of the gate electrode, and a lower buffer layer between the fin-shaped active region the source/drain region. The source/drain regions include a compound semiconductor material including atoms from different groups. The lower buffer layer includes a compound semiconductor material that is amorphous and includes atoms from different groups.

Semiconductor devices having necked semiconductor bodies and methods of forming semiconductor bodies of varying width are described. For example, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor body disposed above a substrate. A gate electrode stack is disposed over a portion of the semiconductor body to define a channel region in the semiconductor body under the gate electrode stack. Source and drain regions are defined in the semiconductor body on either side of the gate electrode stack. Sidewall spacers are disposed adjacent to the gate electrode stack and over only a portion of the source and drain regions. The portion of the source and drain regions under the sidewall spacers has a height and a width greater than a height and a width of the channel region of the semiconductor body.