Patent · US Active

Tensile strain in NFET channel

US10374089B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
7References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 2017
Grant dateAug 6, 2019
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 22, 2037

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D64/021
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming a fin in a film stack disposed over a top surface of a substrate, the film stack comprising a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and a channel layer. The method also includes forming an oxide layer disposed over the top surface of the substrate surrounding the fin, the oxide layer covering sidewalls of the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, performing a channel release to remove the second semiconductor layer, and performing an oxidation to form a non-uniform thickness of an additional oxide layer along a length of the fin, the non-uniform thickness providing a vertical compressive strain that induces lateral tensile strain in the channel layer. The channel layer comprises an n-type field-effect transistor (NFET) channel.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.