A device includes a substrate and insulation regions over a portion of the substrate. A first semiconductor region is between the insulation regions and having a first conduction band. A second semiconductor region is over and adjoining the first semiconductor region, wherein the second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin. The second semiconductor region also includes a wide portion and a narrow portion over the wide portion, wherein the narrow portion is narrower than the wide portion. The semiconductor fin has a tensile strain and has a second conduction band lower than the first conduction band. A third semiconductor region is over and adjoining a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin, wherein the third semiconductor region has a third conduction band higher than the second conduction band.

An apparatus including a complimentary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) inverter including an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET); and a p-channel MOSFET, wherein a material of a channel in the n-channel MOSFET and a material of a channel in the p-channel MOSFET is subject to a bi-axial tensile strain. A method including forming an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET); forming a p-channel MOSFET; and connecting the gate electrodes and the drain regions of the n-channel MOSFET and the p-channel MOSFET, wherein a material of the channel in the n-channel MOSFET and a material of the channel in the p-channel MOSFET is subject to a bi-axial tensile strain.

A hetero-channel FinFET device provides enhanced switching performance over a FinFET device having a silicon channel, and is easier to integrate into a fabrication process than is a FinFET device having a germanium channel. A FinFET device featuring the heterogeneous Si/SiGe channel includes a fin having a central region made of silicon and sidewall regions made of SiGe. A hetero-channel pFET device in particular has higher carrier mobility and less gate-induced drain leakage current than either a silicon device or a SiGe device. The hetero-channel FinFET permits the SiGe portion of the channel to have a Ge concentration in the range of about 25-40% and permits the fin height to exceed 40 nm while remaining stable.

In a method for fabricating a field-effect transistor (FET) structure, forming a shallow trench isolation (STI) structure on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the STI structure includes dielectric structures that form one or more dielectric walled aspect ratio trapping (ART) trenches. The method further includes epitaxially growing a first semiconductor material on the semiconductor substrate and substantially filling at least one of the one or more ART trenches, and recessing the first semiconductor material down into the ART trenches selective to the dielectric structures, such that the upper surface of the first semiconductor material is below the upper surface of the dielectric structures. The method further includes epitaxially growing a second semiconductor material on top of the first semiconductor material and substantially filling the ART trenches to form a semiconductor fin that comprises an upper portion comprising the second semiconductor material and a lower portion comprising the first semiconductor material.

A semiconductor device comprising a substrate having a region protruding from the substrate surface; a relaxed semiconductor disposed on the region; an additional semiconductor disposed on the relaxed semiconductor; and low density dielectric disposed next to and at least partially underneath the relaxed semiconductor and adjacent to the protruding region of the substrate.

A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a multi-channel active pattern including germanium and an inner region and an outer region, the outer region formed along a profile of the inner region, and a germanium fraction of the outer region being smaller than a germanium fraction of the inner region. A gate electrode intersects the multi-channel active pattern.

A semiconductor memory device includes a stacked structure including conductive layers and insulating layers alternately stacked, a strained channel layer passing through the stacked structure, a stressor layer contacting the strained channel layer and applying stress to the strained channel layer, and a core layer formed in the stressor layer.

According to yet another non-limiting embodiment, a fin-type field effect transistor (finFET) including a strained channel region includes a semiconductor substrate extending along a first axis to define a length, a second axis perpendicular to the first axis to width, and a third direction perpendicular to the first and second axes to define a height. At least one semiconductor fin on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate includes a semiconductor substrate portion on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate, a strain-inducing portion on an upper surface of the semiconductor substrate portion, and an active semiconductor portion defining a strained channel region on an upper surface of the strain-inducing portion. A first height of the semiconductor substrate portion is greater than a second height of the strain-inducing portion.

A method for forming nanowires includes forming a plurality of epitaxial layers on a substrate, the layers including alternating material layers with high and low Ge concentration and patterning the plurality of layers to form fins. The fins are etched to form recesses in low Ge concentration layers to form pillars between high Ge concentration layers. The pillars are converted to dielectric pillars. A conformal material is formed in the recesses and on the dielectric pillars. The high Ge concentration layers are condensed to form hexagonal Ge wires with (111) facets. The (111) facets are exposed to form nanowires.

A device includes a substrate, insulation regions extending into the substrate, a first semiconductor region between the insulation regions and having a first valence band, and a second semiconductor region over and adjoining the first semiconductor region. The second semiconductor region has a compressive strain and a second valence band higher than the first valence band. The second semiconductor region includes an upper portion higher than top surfaces of the insulation regions to form a semiconductor fin, and a lower portion lower than the top surfaces of the insulation regions. The upper portion and the lower portion are intrinsic. A semiconductor cap adjoins a top surface and sidewalls of the semiconductor fin. The semiconductor cap has a third valence band lower than the second valence band.