Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090057762 | Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors - Field-effect transistors (FETs) having nanowire channels are provided. In one aspect, a FET is provided. The FET comprises a substrate having a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer which is divided into at least two sections electrically isolated from one another, one section included in a source region and the other section included in a drain region; a channel region connecting the source region and the drain region and including at least one nanowire; an epitaxial semiconductor material, grown from the SOI layer, covering the nanowire and attaching the nanowire to each section of the SOI layer; and a gate over the channel region. | 03-05-2009 |
20090061568 | Techniques for Fabricating Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors - Techniques for the fabrication of field-effect transistors (FETs) having nanowire channels are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a FET is provided comprising the following steps. A substrate is provided having a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer. At least one nanowire is deposited over the SOI layer. A sacrificial gate is formed over the SOI layer so as to cover a portion of the nanowire that forms a channel region. An epitaxial semiconductor material is selectively grown from the SOI layer that covers the nanowire and attaches the nanowire to the SOI layer in a source region and in a drain region. The sacrificial gate is removed. An oxide is formed that divides the SOI layer into at least two electrically isolated sections, one section included in the source region and the other section included in the drain region. A gate dielectric layer is formed over the channel region. A gate is formed over the channel region separated from the nanowire by the gate dielectric layer. A metal-semiconductor alloy is formed over the source and drain regions. | 03-05-2009 |
20100048020 | Nanoscale Electrodes for Phase Change Memory Devices - A process for preparing a phase change memory semiconductor device comprising a (plurality of) nanoscale electrode(s) for alternately switching a chalcogenide phase change material from its high resistance (amorphous) state to its low resistance (crystalline) state, whereby a reduced amount of current is employed, and wherein the plurality of nanoscale electrodes, when present, have substantially the same dimensions. | 02-25-2010 |
20100193770 | Maskless Process for Suspending and Thinning Nanowires - Semiconductor-based electronic devices and techniques for fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a device is provided comprising a first pad; a second pad and a plurality of nanowires connecting the first pad and the second pad in a ladder-like configuration formed in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer over a buried oxide (BOX) layer, the nanowires having one or more dimensions defined by a re-distribution of silicon from the nanowires to the pads. The device can comprise a field-effect transistor (FET) having a gate surrounding the nanowires wherein portions of the nanowires surrounded by the gate form channels of the FET, the first pad and portions of the nanowires extending out from the gate adjacent to the first pad form a source region of the FET and the second pad and portions of the nanowires extending out from the gate adjacent to the second pad form a drain region of the FET. | 08-05-2010 |
20100252810 | GATE PATTERNING OF NANO-CHANNEL DEVICES - Methodologies and gate etching processes are presented to enable the fabrication of gate conductors of semiconductor devices, such as NFETs and/or PFETs, which are equipped with nano-channels. In one embodiment, a sacrificial spacer of equivalent thickness to the diameter of the gate nano-channel is employed and is deposited after patterning the gate conductor down to the gate dielectric. The residue gate material that is beneath the nano-channel is removed utilizing a medium to high density, bias-free, fluorine-containing or fluorine- and chlorine-containing isotropic etch process without compromising the integrity of the gate. In another embodiment, an encapsulation/passivation layer is utilized. In yet further embodiment, no sacrificial spacer or encapsulation/passivation layer is used and gate etching is performed in an oxygen and nitrogen-free ambient. | 10-07-2010 |
20110006367 | GATE PATTERNING OF NANO-CHANNEL DEVICES - Methodologies and gate etching processes are presented to enable the fabrication of gate conductors of semiconductor devices, such as NFETs and/or PFETs, which are equipped with nano-channels. In one embodiment, a sacrificial spacer of equivalent thickness to the diameter of the gate nano-channel is employed and is deposited after patterning the gate conductor down to the gate dielectric. The residue gate material that is beneath the nano-channel is removed utilizing a medium to high density, bias-free, fluorine-containing or fluorine- and chlorine-containing isotropic etch process without compromising the integrity of the gate. In another embodiment, an encapsulation/passivation layer is utilized. In yet further embodiment, no sacrificial spacer or encapsulation/passivation layer is used and gate etching is performed in an oxygen and nitrogen-free ambient. | 01-13-2011 |
20110108804 | Maskless Process for Suspending and Thinning Nanowires - Semiconductor-based electronic devices and techniques for fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a device is provided comprising a first pad; a second pad and a plurality of nanowires connecting the first pad and the second pad in a ladder-like configuration formed in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) layer over a buried oxide (BOX) layer, the nanowires having one or more dimensions defined by a re-distribution of silicon from the nanowires to the pads. The device can comprise a field-effect transistor (FET) having a gate surrounding the nanowires wherein portions of the nanowires surrounded by the gate form channels of the FET, the first pad and portions of the nanowires extending out from the gate adjacent to the first pad form a source region of the FET and the second pad and portions of the nanowires extending out from the gate adjacent to the second pad form a drain region of the FET. | 05-12-2011 |
20110133280 | DIFFERENT THICKNESS OXIDE SILICON NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A method (that produces a structure) patterns at least two wires of semiconductor material such that a first wire of the wires has a larger perimeter than a second wire of the wires. The method performs an oxidation process simultaneously on the wires to form a first gate oxide on the first wire and a second gate oxide on the second wire. The first gate oxide is thicker than the second gate oxide. The method also forms gate conductors over the first gate oxide and the second gate oxide, forms sidewall spacers on the gate conductors, and dopes portions of the first wire and the second wire not covered by the sidewall spacers and the gate conductors to form source and drain regions within the first wire and the second wire. | 06-09-2011 |
20110249489 | Nanowire Circuits in Matched Devices - An inverter device includes a first nanowire connected to a voltage source node and a ground node, a first p-type field effect transistor (pFET) device having a gate disposed on the first nanowire, and a first n-type field effect transistor (nFET) device having a gate disposed on the first nanowire. | 10-13-2011 |
20110272673 | DIRECTIONALLY ETCHED NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A method for forming a nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes depositing a first semiconductor layer on a substrate wherein a surface of the semiconductor layer is parallel to {110} crystalline planes of the semiconductor layer, epitaxailly depositing a second semiconductor layer on the first semiconductor layer, etching the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer to define a nanowire channel portion that connects a source region pad to a drain region pad, the nanowire channel portion having sidewalls that are parallel to {100} crystalline planes, and the source region pad and the drain region pad having sidewalls that are parallel to {110} crystalline planes, and performing an anisotropic etch that removes primarily material from {100} crystalline planes of the first semiconductor layer such that the nanowire channel portion is suspended by the source region pad and the drain region pad. | 11-10-2011 |
20110278539 | GENERATION OF MULTIPLE DIAMETER NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A method of modifying a wafer having a semiconductor disposed on an insulator is provided and includes forming first and second nanowire channels connected at each end to semiconductor pads at first and second wafer regions, respectively, with second nanowire channel sidewalls being misaligned relative to a crystallographic plane of the semiconductor more than first nanowire channel sidewalls and displacing the semiconductor toward an alignment condition between the sidewalls and the crystallographic plane such that thickness differences between the first and second nanowire channels reflect the greater misalignment of the second nanowire channel sidewalls. | 11-17-2011 |
20110278542 | TFET with Nanowire Source - A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) includes a source region, the source region comprising a first portion of a nanowire; a channel region, the channel region comprising a second portion of the nanowire; a drain region, the drain region comprising a portion of a silicon pad, the silicon pad being located adjacent to the channel region; and a gate configured such that the gate surrounds the channel region and at least a portion of the source region. | 11-17-2011 |
20110278543 | GENERATION OF MUTIPLE DIAMETER NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A method of modifying a wafer having semiconductor disposed on an insulator is provided and includes establishing first and second regions of the wafer with different initial semiconductor thicknesses, forming pairs of semiconductor pads connected via respective nanowire channels at each of the first and second regions and reshaping the nanowire channels into nanowires each having a respective differing thickness reflective of the different initial semiconductor thicknesses at each of the first and second regions. | 11-17-2011 |
20110278544 | GENERATION OF MULTIPLE DIAMETER NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A method of modifying a wafer having a semiconductor disposed on an insulator is provided and includes forming pairs of semiconductor pads connected via respective nanowire channels at each of first and second regions with different initial semiconductor thicknesses and reshaping the nanowire channels into nanowires to each have a respective differing thickness reflective of the different initial semiconductor thicknesses. | 11-17-2011 |
20110278546 | Nanowire Tunnel Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire tunnel field effect transistor (FET) device includes forming a nanowire suspended by a first pad region and a second pad region, forming a gate around a portion of the nanowire, forming a protective spacer adjacent to sidewalls of the gate structure and around portions of the nanowire extending from the gate structure, implanting ions in a first portion of the exposed nanowire, removing a second portion of the exposed nanowire to form a cavity defined by the core portion of the nanowire surrounded by the gate structure and the spacer, exposing a silicon portion of the substrate, and epitaxially growing a doped semiconductor material in the cavity from exposed cross section of the nanowire, the second pad region, and the exposed silicon portion to connect the exposed cross sections of the nanowire to the second pad region. | 11-17-2011 |
20110315950 | NANOWIRE FET WITH TRAPEZOID GATE STRUCTURE - In one embodiment, a method of providing a nanowire semiconductor device is provided, in which the gate structure to the nanowire semiconductor device has a trapezoid shape. The method may include forming a trapezoid gate structure surrounding at least a portion of a circumference of a nanowire. The first portion of the trapezoid gate structure that is in direct contact with an upper surface of the nanowire has a first width and a second portion of the trapezoid gate structure that is in direct contact with a lower surface of the nanowire has a second width. The second width of the trapezoid gate structure is greater than the first width of the trapezoid gate structure. The exposed portions of the nanowire that are adjacent to the portion of the nanowire that the trapezoid gate structure is surrounding are then doped to provide source and drain regions. | 12-29-2011 |
20110315953 | METHOD OF FORMING COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR - A method of forming a semiconductor is provided and includes patterning a pad and a nanowire onto a wafer, the nanowire being substantially perpendicular with a pad sidewall and substantially parallel with a wafer surface and epitaxially growing on an outer surface of the nanowire a secondary layer of semiconductor material, which is lattice mismatched with respect to a material of the nanowire and substantially free of defects. | 12-29-2011 |
20120007051 | Process for Forming a Surrounding Gate for a Nanowire Using a Sacrificial Patternable Dielectric - Techniques for defining a damascene gate in nanowire FET devices are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a FET device is provided including the following steps. A SOI wafer is provided having a SOI layer over a BOX. Nanowires and pads are patterned in the SOI layer in a ladder-like configuration. The BOX is recessed under the nanowires. A patternable dielectric dummy gate(s) is formed over the recessed BOX and surrounding a portion of each of the nanowires. A CMP stop layer is deposited over the dummy gate(s) and the source and drain regions. A dielectric film is deposited over the CMP stop layer. The dielectric film is planarized using CMP to expose the dummy gate(s). The dummy gate(s) is at least partially removed so as to release the nanowires in a channel region. The dummy gate(s) is replaced with a gate conductor material. | 01-12-2012 |
20120037880 | Contacts for Nanowire Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes forming a nanowire over a semiconductor substrate, forming a gate stack around a portion of the nanowire, forming a capping layer on the gate stack, forming a spacer adjacent to sidewalls of the gate stack and around portions of nanowire extending from the gate stack, forming a hardmask layer on the capping layer and the first spacer, forming a metallic layer over the exposed portions of the device, depositing a conductive material over the metallic layer, removing the hardmask layer from the gate stack, and removing portions of the conductive material to define a source region contact and a drain region contact. | 02-16-2012 |
20120068150 | Nanowire Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device including forming a first silicon on insulator (SOI) pad region, a second SOI pad region, a third SOI pad region, a first SOI portion connecting the first SOI pad region to the second SOI pad region, and a second SOI portion connecting the second SOI pad region to the third SOI pad region on a substrate, patterning a first hardmask layer over the second SOI portion, forming a first suspended nanowire over the semiconductor substrate, forming a first gate structure around a portion of the first suspended nanowire, patterning a second hardmask layer over the first gate structure and the first suspended nanowire, removing the first hardmask layer, forming a second suspended nanowire over the semiconductor substrate, forming a second gate structure around a portion of the second suspended nanowire, and removing the second hardmask layer. | 03-22-2012 |
20120138900 | Omega Shaped Nanowire Tunnel Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire tunnel field effect transistor device includes forming a nanowire connected to a first pad region and a second pad region, the nanowire including a core portion and a dielectric layer, forming a gate structure on the dielectric layer of the nanowire, forming a first protective spacer on portions of the nanowire, implanting ions in a first portion of the exposed nanowire and the first pad region, implanting in the dielectric layer of a second portion of the exposed nanowire and the second pad region, removing the dielectric layer from the second pad region and the second portion, removing the core portion of the second portion of the exposed nanowire to form a cavity, and epitaxially growing a doped semiconductor material in the cavity to connect the exposed cross sections of the nanowire to the second pad region. | 06-07-2012 |
20120146000 | Omega Shaped Nanowire Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes forming a nanowire on a semiconductor substrate, forming a first gate structure on a first portion of the nanowire, forming a first protective spacer adjacent to sidewalls of the first gate structure and over portions of the nanowire extending from the first gate structure, removing exposed portions of the nanowire left unprotected by the first spacer, and epitaxially growing a doped semiconductor material on exposed cross sections of the nanowire to form a first source region and a first drain region. | 06-14-2012 |
20120217481 | MOSFET with a Nanowire Channel and Fully Silicided (FUSI) Wrapped Around Gate - Nanowire-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a MOSFET includes a nanowire channel; a fully silicided gate surrounding the nanowire channel; and a raised source and drain connected by the nanowire channel. A method of fabricating a MOSFET is also provided. | 08-30-2012 |
20120225525 | MOSFET with a Nanowire Channel and Fully Silicided (FUSI) Wrapped Around Gate - Nanowire-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) and techniques for the fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a MOSFET includes a nanowire channel; a fully silicided gate surrounding the nanowire channel; and a raised source and drain connected by the nanowire channel. A method of fabricating a MOSFET is also provided. | 09-06-2012 |
20120273761 | Nanowire Tunnel Field Effect Transistors - A nanowire tunnel field effect transistor (FET) device includes a channel region including a silicon portion having a first distal end and a second distal end, the silicon portion is surrounded by a gate structure disposed circumferentially around the silicon portion, a drain region including an doped silicon portion extending from the first distal end, a portion of the doped silicon portion arranged in the channel region, a cavity defined by the second distal end of the silicon portion and an inner diameter of the gate structure, and a source region including a doped epi-silicon portion epitaxially extending from the second distal end of the silicon portion in the cavity, a first pad region, and a portion of a silicon substrate. | 11-01-2012 |
20120280204 | DIRECTIONALLY ETCHED NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device, includes a source region comprising a first semiconductor layer disposed on a second semiconductor layer, the source region having a surface parallel to {110} crystalline planes and opposing sidewall surfaces parallel to the {110} crystalline planes, a drain region comprising the first semiconductor layer disposed on the second semiconductor layer, the source region having a face parallel to the {110} crystalline planes and opposing sidewall surfaces parallel to the {110} crystalline planes, and a nanowire channel member suspended by the source region and the drain region, wherein nanowire channel includes the first semiconductor layer, and opposing sidewall surfaces parallel to {100} crystalline planes and opposing faces parallel to the {110} crystalline planes. | 11-08-2012 |
20120280205 | Contacts for Nanowire Field Effect Transistors - A nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes a channel region including a silicon nanowire portion having a first distal end extending from the channel region and a second distal end extending from the channel region, the silicon portion is partially surrounded by a gate stack disposed circumferentially around the silicon portion, a source region including the first distal end of the silicon nanowire portion, a drain region including the second distal end of the silicon nanowire portion, a metallic layer disposed on the source region and the drain region, a first conductive member contacting the metallic layer of the source region, and a second conductive member contacting the metallic layer of the drain region. | 11-08-2012 |
20120280206 | Nanowire Circuits in Matched Devices - A memory device includes a first nanowire connected to a first bit line node and a ground node, a first field effect transistor (FET) having a gate disposed on the first nanowire, a second FET having a gate disposed on the first nanowire, a second nanowire connected to a voltage source node and a first input node, a third FET having a gate disposed on the second nanowire, a third nanowire connected to the voltage source node and a second input node, a fourth FET having a gate disposed on the third nanowire, a fourth nanowire connected to a second bit line node and the ground node, a fifth FET having a gate disposed on the fourth nanowire, and a sixth FET having a gate disposed on the fourth nanowire. | 11-08-2012 |
20120305886 | NANOWIRE FET WITH TRAPEZOID GATE STRUCTURE - In one embodiment, a method of providing a nanowire semiconductor device is provided, in which the gate structure to the nanowire semiconductor device has a trapezoid shape. The method may include forming a trapezoid gate structure surrounding at least a portion of a circumference of a nanowire. The first portion of the trapezoid gate structure that is in direct contact with an upper surface of the nanowire has a first width and a second portion of the trapezoid gate structure that is in direct contact with a lower surface of the nanowire has a second width. The second width of the trapezoid gate structure is greater than the first width of the trapezoid gate structure. The exposed portions of the nanowire that are adjacent to the portion of the nanowire that the trapezoid gate structure is surrounding are then doped to provide source and drain regions. | 12-06-2012 |
20120329217 | Nanowire Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device including forming a first silicon on insulator (SOI) pad region, a second SOI pad region, a third SOI pad region, a first SOI portion connecting the first SOI pad region to the second SOI pad region, and a second SOI portion connecting the second SOI pad region to the third SOI pad region on a substrate, patterning a first hardmask layer over the second SOI portion, forming a first suspended nanowire over the semiconductor substrate, forming a first gate structure around a portion of the first suspended nanowire, patterning a second hardmask layer over the first gate structure and the first suspended nanowire, removing the first hardmask layer, forming a second suspended nanowire over the semiconductor substrate, forming a second gate structure around a portion of the second suspended nanowire, and removing the second hardmask layer. | 12-27-2012 |
20130001517 | GENERATION OF MULTIPLE DIAMETER NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A method of modifying a wafer having a semiconductor disposed on an insulator is provided and includes forming pairs of semiconductor pads connected via respective nanowire channels at each of first and second regions with different initial semiconductor thicknesses and reshaping the nanowire channels into nanowires to each have a respective differing thickness reflective of the different initial semiconductor thicknesses. | 01-03-2013 |
20130017673 | GENERATION OF MULTIPLE DIAMETER NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A method of modifying a wafer having a semiconductor disposed on an insulator is provided and includes forming first and second nanowire channels connected at each end to semiconductor pads at first and second wafer regions, respectively, with second nanowire channel sidewalls being misaligned relative to a crystallographic plane of the semiconductor more than first nanowire channel sidewalls and displacing the semiconductor toward an alignment condition between the sidewalls and the crystallographic plane such that thickness differences between the first and second nanowire channels reflect the greater misalignment of the second nanowire channel sidewalls. | 01-17-2013 |
20130026451 | Hybrid CMOS Technology With Nanowire Devices and Double Gated Planar Devices - A substrate includes a first source region and a first drain region each having a first semiconductor layer disposed on a second semiconductor layer and a surface parallel to {110} crystalline planes and opposing sidewall surfaces parallel to the {110} crystalline planes; nanowire channel members suspended by the first source region and the first drain region, where the nanowire channel members include the first semiconductor layer, and opposing sidewall surfaces parallel to {100} crystalline planes and opposing faces parallel to the {110} crystalline planes. The substrate further includes a second source and drain regions having the characteristics of the first source and drain regions, and a single channel member suspended by the second source region and the second drain region and having the same characteristics as the nanowire channel members. A width of the single channel member is at least several times a width of a single nanowire member. | 01-31-2013 |
20130105897 | Nanowire FET and FINFET Hybrid Technology | 05-02-2013 |
20130112937 | Nanowire Field Effect Transistor Device - A method for forming a field effect transistor device includes forming a nanowire suspended above a substrate, forming a dummy gate stack on a portion of the substrate and around a portion of the nanowire, removing exposed portions of the nanowire, epitaxially growing nanowire extension portions from exposed portions of the nanowire, depositing a layer of semiconductor material over exposed portions of the substrate, the dummy gate stack and the nanowire extension portions, and removing portions of the semiconductor material to form sidewall contact regions arranged adjacent to the dummy gate stack and contacting the nanowire extension portions. | 05-09-2013 |
20130112938 | Nanowire Field Effect Transistor Device - A field effect transistor device includes a nanowire, a gate stack comprising a gate dielectric layer disposed on the nanowire, a gate conductor layer disposed on the dielectric layer and a substrate, and an active region including a sidewall contact portion disposed on the substrate adjacent to the gate stack, the side wall contact portion is electrically in contact with the nanowire. | 05-09-2013 |
20130175502 | Nanowire Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes forming a nanowire over a substrate, forming a liner material around a portion of the nanowire, forming a capping layer on the liner material, forming a first spacer adjacent to sidewalls of the capping layer and around portions of the nanowire, forming a hardmask layer on the capping layer and the first spacer, removing an exposed portion of the nanowire to form a first cavity partially defined by the gate material, epitaxially growing a semiconductor material on an exposed cross section of the nanowire in the first cavity, removing the hardmask layer and the capping layer, forming a second capping layer around the semiconductor material epitaxially grown in the first cavity to define a channel region, and forming a source region and a drain region contacting the channel region. | 07-11-2013 |
20130175597 | NANOWIRE FLOATING GATE TRANSISTOR - A floating gate transistor, memory cell, and method of fabricating a device. The floating gate transistor includes one or more gated wires substantially cylindrical in form. The floating gate transistor includes a first gate dielectric layer at least partially covering the gated wires. The floating gate transistor further includes a plurality of gate crystals discontinuously arranged upon the first gate dielectric layer. The floating gate transistor also includes a second gate dielectric layer covering the plurality of gate crystals and the first gate dielectric layer. | 07-11-2013 |
20130178019 | Nanowire Field Effect Transistors - A method for forming a nanowire field effect transistor (FET) device includes forming a nanowire over a substrate, forming a liner material around a portion of the nanowire, forming a capping layer on the liner material, forming a first spacer adjacent to sidewalls of the capping layer and around portions of the nanowire, forming a hardmask layer on the capping layer and the first spacer, removing an exposed portion of the nanowire to form a first cavity partially defined by the gate material, epitaxially growing a semiconductor material on an exposed cross section of the nanowire in the first cavity, removing the hardmask layer and the capping layer, forming a second capping layer around the semiconductor material epitaxially grown in the first cavity to define a channel region, and forming a source region and a drain region contacting the channel region. | 07-11-2013 |
20130207079 | Tapered Nanowire Structure With Reduced Off Current - Non-planar semiconductor devices including at least one semiconductor nanowire having a tapered profile which widens from the source side of the device towards the drain side of the device are provided which have reduced gate to drain coupling and therefore reduced gate induced drain tunneling currents. | 08-15-2013 |
20130237038 | TWO-STEP HYDROGEN ANNEALING PROCESS FOR CREATING UNIFORM NON-PLANAR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AT AGGRESSIVE PITCH - A two-step hydrogen anneal process has been developed for use in fabricating semiconductor nanowires for use in non-planar semiconductor devices. In the first part of the two-step hydrogen anneal process, which occurs prior to suspending a semiconductor nanowire, the initial roughness of at least the sidewalls of the semiconductor nanowire is reduced, while having at least the bottommost surface of the nanowire pinned to an uppermost surface of a substrate. After performing the first hydrogen anneal, the semiconductor nanowire is suspended and then a second hydrogen anneal is performed which further reduces the roughness of all exposed surfaces of the semiconductor nanowire and reshapes the semiconductor nanowire. By breaking the anneal into two steps, smaller semiconductor nanowires at a tight pitch survive the process and yield. | 09-12-2013 |
20130237039 | TWO-STEP HYDROGEN ANNEALING PROCESS FOR CREATING UNIFORM NON-PLANAR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AT AGGRESSIVE PITCH - A two-step hydrogen anneal process has been developed for use in fabricating semiconductor nanowires for use in non-planar semiconductor devices. In the first part of the two-step hydrogen anneal process, which occurs prior to suspending a semiconductor nanowire, the initial roughness of at least the sidewalls of the semiconductor nanowire is reduced, while having at least the bottommost surface of the nanowire pinned to an uppermost surface of a substrate. After performing the first hydrogen anneal, the semiconductor nanowire is suspended and then a second hydrogen anneal is performed which further reduces the roughness of all exposed surfaces of the semiconductor nanowire and reshapes the semiconductor nanowire. By breaking the anneal into two steps, smaller semiconductor nanowires at a tight pitch survive the process and yield. | 09-12-2013 |
20130292701 | Doped Core Trigate FET Structure and Method - Techniques for fabricating a field effect transistor (FET) device having a doped core and an undoped or counter-doped epitaxial shell are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a FET device is provided. The method includes the following steps. A wafer is provided having a semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon germanium and silicon carbon. At least one fin core is formed in the wafer. Ion implantation is used to dope the fin core. Corners of the fin core are reshaped to make the corners rounded or faceted. An epitaxial shell is grown surrounding the fin core, wherein the epitaxial shell includes a semiconductor material selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon germanium and silicon carbon. | 11-07-2013 |
20140021538 | Replacement Gate Fin First Wire Last Gate All Around Devices - In one aspect, a method of fabricating a nanowire FET device includes the following steps. A wafer is provided. At least one sacrificial layer and silicon layer are formed on the wafer in a stack. Fins are patterned in the stack. Dummy gates are formed over portions of the fins which will serve as channel regions, and wherein one or more portions of the fins which remain exposed will serve as source and drain regions. A gap filler material is deposited surrounding the dummy gates and planarized. The dummy gates are removed forming trenches in the gap filler material. Portions of the silicon layer (which will serve as nanowire channels) are released from the fins within the trenches. Replacement gates are formed within the trenches that surround the nanowire channels in a gate all around configuration. A nanowire FET device is also provided. | 01-23-2014 |
20140027855 | Nanowire FET and FINFET Hybrid Technology - Hybrid nanowire FET and FinFET devices and methods for fabrication thereof are provided. In one aspect, a method for fabricating a CMOS circuit having a nanowire FET and a finFET includes the following steps. A wafer is provided having an active layer over a BOX. A first region of the active layer is thinned. An organic planarizing layer is deposited on the active layer. Nanowires and pads are etched in the first region of the active layer using a first hardmask. The nanowires are suspended over the BOX. Fins are etched in the second region of the active layer using a second hardmask. A first gate stack is formed that surrounds at least a portion of each of the nanowires. A second gate stack is formed covering at least a portion of each of the fins. An epitaxial material is grown on exposed portions of the nanowires, pads and fins. | 01-30-2014 |
20140034905 | Epitaxially Thickened Doped or Undoped Core Nanowire FET Structure and Method for Increasing Effective Device Width - Techniques for increasing effective device width of a nanowire FET device are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a FET device is provided. The method includes the following steps. A SOI wafer is provided having an SOI layer over a BOX. Nanowire cores and pads are etched in the SOI layer in a ladder-like configuration. The nanowire cores are suspended over the BOX. Epitaxial shells are formed surrounding each of the nanowire cores. A gate stack is formed that surrounds at least a portion of each of the nanowire cores/epitaxial shells, wherein the portions of the nanowire cores/epitaxial shells surrounded by the gate stack serve as channels of the device, and wherein the pads and portions of the nanowire cores/epitaxial shells that extend out from the gate stack serve as source and drain regions of the device. | 02-06-2014 |
20140034908 | Epitaxially Thickened Doped or Undoped Core Nanowire FET Structure and Method for Increasing Effective Device Width - Techniques for increasing effective device width of a nanowire FET device are provided. In one aspect, a method of fabricating a FET device is provided. The method includes the following steps. A SOI wafer is provided having an SOI layer over a BOX, wherein the SOI layer is present between a buried nitride layer and a nitride cap. The SOI layer, the buried nitride layer and the nitride cap are etched to form nanowire cores and pads in the SOI layer in a ladder-like configuration. The nanowire cores are suspended over the BOX. Epitaxial sidewalls are formed over the sidewalls of the nanowires cores. The buried nitride layer and the nitride cap are removed from the nanowire cores. A gate stack is formed that surrounds at least a portion of each of the nanowire cores and the epitaxial sidewalls. | 02-06-2014 |
20140209854 | Nanowire Capacitor for Bidirectional Operation - A method of fabricating an electronic device includes the following steps. At least one first set and at least one second set of nanowires and pads are etched in an SOI layer of an SOI wafer. A first gate stack is formed that surrounds at least a portion of each of the first set of nanowires that serves as a channel region of a capacitor device. A second gate stack is formed that surrounds at least a portion of each of the second set of nanowires that serves as a channel region of a FET device. Source and drain regions of the FET device are selectively doped. A first silicide is formed on the source and drain regions of the capacitor device that extends at least to an edge of the first gate stack. A second silicide is formed on the source and drain regions of the FET device. | 07-31-2014 |
20140209864 | Nanowire Capacitor for Bidirectional Operation - A method of fabricating an electronic device includes the following steps. At least one first set and at least one second set of nanowires and pads are etched in an SOI layer of an SOI wafer. A first gate stack is formed that surrounds at least a portion of each of the first set of nanowires that serves as a channel region of a capacitor device. A second gate stack is formed that surrounds at least a portion of each of the second set of nanowires that serves as a channel region of a FET device. Source and drain regions of the FET device are selectively doped. A first silicide is formed on the source and drain regions of the capacitor device that extends at least to an edge of the first gate stack. A second silicide is formed on the source and drain regions of the FET device. | 07-31-2014 |
20140239254 | GENERATION OF MULTIPLE DIAMETER NANOWIRE FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS - A system is provided and includes a wafer and a mask. The wafer includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) structure disposed on a buried oxide (BOX) layer and has a first region with a first SOI thickness and a second region with a second SOI thickness, the first and second SOI thicknesses being different from one another and sufficiently large such that respective pairs of SOI pads connected via respective nanowires with different thicknesses are formable therein. The mask covers one of the first and second regions and prevents a thickness change of the other of the first and second regions from having effect at the one of the first and second regions. | 08-28-2014 |
20140239258 | TFET with Nanowire Source - A tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) includes a source region, the source region comprising a first portion of a nanowire; a channel region, the channel region comprising a second portion of the nanowire; a drain region, the drain region comprising a portion of a silicon pad, the silicon pad being located adjacent to the channel region; and a gate configured such that the gate surrounds the channel region and at least a portion of the source region. | 08-28-2014 |
20140370667 | TAPERED NANOWIRE STRUCTURE WITH REDUCED OFF CURRENT - Non-planar semiconductor devices including at least one semiconductor nanowire having a tapered profile which widens from the source side of the device towards the drain side of the device are provided which have reduced gate to drain coupling and therefore reduced gate induced drain tunneling currents. | 12-18-2014 |