A semiconductor device includes a stressed substrate stressed by a first stress, a first stressed channel formed in the substrate and having the first stress, and a first strained gate electrode strained by a first strain generating element. A first strained gate electrode is formed over the first stressed channel, the first strained gate electrode including a first lattice-mismatched layer to induce a second stress to the first stressed channel.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a semiconductor device including a substrate and a gate structure on the substrate. A first well region of a first conductivity type is in the substrate, close to a first sidewall of the gate structure. A second well region of a second conductivity type is also in the substrate close to the second sidewall of the gate structure. A conductive region is disposed in the second well region. The conductive region can be an epitaxy region. A chemical composition inside the second well region between the conductive region and the gate structure is essentially homogeneous as a chemical composition throughout the second well region.

In one example, a device includes a p-type field effect transistor region and n-type field effect transistor region. The p-type field effect transistor region includes at least one fin including strained germanium. The n-type field effect transistor region also includes at least one fin including strained germanium.

To improve a semiconductor device having a nonvolatile memory. A first MISFET, a second MISFET, and a memory cell are formed, and a stopper film made of a silicon oxide film is formed thereover. Then, over the stopper film, a stress application film made of a silicon nitride film is formed, and the stress application film over the second MISFET and the memory cell is removed. Thereafter, heat treatment is performed to apply a stress to the first MISFET. Thus, a SMT is not applied to each of elements, but is applied selectively. This can reduce the degree of degradation of the second MISFET due to H (hydrogen) in the silicon nitride film forming the stress application film. This can also reduce the degree of degradation of the characteristics of the memory cell due to the H (hydrogen) in the silicon nitride film forming the stress application film.

Methods are providing for fabricating transistors having at least one source region or drain region with a stressed portion. The methods include: forming, within a cavity of a substrate structure, the at least one source region or drain region with the internal stress; and resurfacing the at least one source region or drain region to reduce surface defects of the at least one source region or drain region without relaxing the stressed portion thereof. For instance, the resurfacing can include melting an upper portion of the at least one source region or drain region. In addition, the resurfacing can include re-crystallizing an upper portion of the at least one source region or drain region, and/or providing the at least one source region or drain region with at least one {111} surface.

The invention concerns a method of forming a semiconductor layer having uniaxial stress including: forming, in a semiconductor structure having a stressed semiconductor layer, one or more first isolation trenches in a first direction for delimiting a first dimension of at least one transistor to be formed in said semiconductor structure; forming, in the semiconductor structure, one or more second isolation trenches in a second direction for delimiting a second dimension of the at least one transistor, the first and second isolation trenches being at least partially filled with an insulating material; and before or after the formation of the second isolation trenches, decreasing the viscosity of the insulating material in the first isolation trenches by implanting atoms of a first material into the first isolation trenches, wherein atoms of the first material are not implanted into the second isolation trenches.

A method includes receiving a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has a top surface and includes a semiconductor element. Moreover, the semiconductor substrate has a fin structure formed thereon. The method also includes recessing the fin structure to form source/drain trenches, forming a first dielectric layer over the recessed fin structure in the source/drain trenches, implanting a dopant element into a portion of the fin structure beneath a bottom surface of the source/drain trenches to form an amorphous semiconductor layer, forming a second dielectric layer over the recessed fin structure in the source/drain trenches, annealing the semiconductor substrate, and removing the first and second dielectric layers. After the annealing and the removing steps, the method further includes further recessing the recessed fin structure to provide a top surface. Additionally, the method includes forming an epitaxial layer from and on the top surface.

A method includes receiving a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate has a top surface and includes a semiconductor element. Moreover, the semiconductor substrate has a fin structure formed thereon. The method also includes recessing the fin structure to form source/drain trenches, forming a first dielectric layer over the recessed fin structure in the source/drain trenches, implanting a dopant element into a portion of the fin structure beneath a bottom surface of the source/drain trenches to form an amorphous semiconductor layer, forming a second dielectric layer over the recessed fin structure in the source/drain trenches, annealing the semiconductor substrate, and removing the first and second dielectric layers. After the annealing and the removing steps, the method further includes further recessing the recessed fin structure to provide a top surface. Additionally, the method includes forming an epitaxial layer from and on the top surface.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed, including memory devices and systems. Example memory devices, systems and methods include transistors formed in a (100) surface of a semiconductor substrate wherein a channel is oriented in a <100> direction. The transistors further include one or more strain induced dislocations adjacent to a channel.

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, device isolation films defining an active region in the substrate, the active region defined in the substrate by the device isolation films, a gate pattern formed in the active region, and source/drain regions on both sides of the gate pattern, in the active region, the source/drain regions include first parts, which are doped with carbon monoxide (CO) ions and are recrystallized.