A semiconductor device may include first channels on a first region of a substrate and spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction substantially perpendicular to an upper surface of the substrate, second channels on a second region of the substrate and spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, a first gate structure on the first region of the substrate and covering at least a portion of a surface of each of the first channels, and a second gate structure on the second region of the substrate and covering at least a portion of a surface of each of the second channels. The second channels may be disposed at heights substantially the same as those of corresponding ones of the first channels, and a height of a lowermost one of the second channels may be greater than a height of a lowermost one of the first channels.

A SiC epitaxial wafer includes a SiC substrate and an epitaxial layer laminated on the SiC substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer contains an impurity element which determines the conductivity type of the epitaxial layer and boron which has a conductivity type different from the conductivity type of the impurity element, and the concentration of boron in the center of the epitaxial layer is less than 5.0×10.sup.12 cm.sup.−3.

Embodiments of mechanisms for forming dislocations in source and drain regions of finFET devices are provided. The mechanisms involve recessing fins and removing the dielectric material in the isolation structures neighboring fins to increase epitaxial regions for dislocation formation. The mechanisms also involve performing a pre-amorphous implantation (PAI) process either before or after the epitaxial growth in the recessed source and drain regions. An anneal process after the PAI process enables consistent growth of the dislocations in the source and drain regions. The dislocations in the source and drain regions (or stressor regions) can form consistently to produce targeted strain in the source and drain regions to improve carrier mobility and device performance for NMOS devices.

A semiconductor laminate includes a silicon carbide substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface opposite the first main surface, and an epitaxial layer composed of silicon carbide disposed on the first main surface. The second main surface has an average value of roughness Ra of 0.1 μm or more and 1 μm or less with a standard deviation of 25% or less of the average value.

A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a fin structure protruding from the substrate, the fin structure extending along a first direction; isolation features disposed on both sides of the fin structure; a gate structure over the fin structure and extending on the isolation features along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and wherein the gate structure includes a first segment and a second segment, the second segment being over the first segment and including a greater dimension in the first direction than that of the first segment.

A method for manufacturing an epitaxial wafer comprising a silicon carbide substrate and a silicon carbide voltage-blocking-layer, the method includes: epitaxially growing a buffer layer on the substrate, doping a main dopant for determining a conductivity type of the buffer layer and doping an auxiliary dopant for capturing minority carriers in the buffer layer at a doping concentration less than the doping concentration of the main dopant, so that the buffer layer enhances capturing and extinction of the minority carriers, the minority carriers flowing in a direction from the voltage-blocking-layer to the substrate, so that the buffer layer has a lower resistivity than the voltage-blocking-layer, and so that the buffer layer includes silicon carbide as a main component; and epitaxially growing the voltage-blocking-layer on the buffer layer.

In a semiconductor manufacturing method, a mask is disposed on a semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate is etched in an area delineated by the mask to form a cavity. With the mask disposed on the semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate, the cavity is lined to form a containment structure. With the mask disposed on the semiconductor layer or semiconductor substrate, the containment structure is filled with a base semiconductor material. After filling the containment structure with the base semiconductor material, the mask is removed. At least one semiconductor device is fabricated in and/or on the base semiconductor material deposited in the containment structure.

A silicon carbide crystal includes a seed layer, a bulk layer, and a stress buffering structure formed between the seed layer and the bulk layer. The seed layer, the bulk layer, and the stress buffering structure are each formed with a dopant that cycles between high and low dopant concentration. The stress buffering structure includes a plurality of stacked buffer layers and a transition layer over the buffer layers. The buffer layer closest to the seed layer has the same variation trend of the dopant concentration as the buffer layer closest to the transition layer, and the dopant concentration of the transition layer is equal to the dopant concentration of the seed layer.

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor fin, a first epitaxial layer, a first alloy layer and a contact plug. The first semiconductor fin is on a substrate. The first epitaxial layer is on the first semiconductor fin. The first alloy layer is on the first epitaxial layer. The first alloy layer is made of one or more Group IV elements and one or more metal elements, and the first alloy layer comprises a first sidewall and a second sidewall extending downwardly from a bottom of the first sidewall along a direction non-parallel to the first sidewall. The contact plug is in contact with the first and second sidewalls of the first alloy layer.

A method for producing a silicon carbide component includes forming a silicon carbide layer on an initial wafer, forming a doping region of the silicon carbide component to be produced in the silicon carbide layer, and forming an electrically conductive contact structure of the silicon carbide component to be produced on a surface of the silicon carbide layer. The electrically conductive contact structure electrically contacts the doping region. Furthermore, the method includes splitting the silicon carbide layer or the initial wafer after forming the electrically conductive contact structure, such that a silicon carbide substrate at least of the silicon carbide component to be produced is split off.