LOCAL THINNING OF SEMICONDUCTOR FINS
First Claim
1. A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising:
- forming a semiconductor fin on a substrate;
forming a planarization dielectric layer over said semiconductor fin;
physically exposing a portion of a top surface of said semiconductor fin while another portion of said top surface of said semiconductor fin is covered with said planarization dielectric layer;
converting a surface portion of said semiconductor fin into a semiconductor oxide portion employing an oxygen cluster implantation process in which clusters of oxygen atoms are implanted into said surface portion of said semiconductor fin; and
removing said semiconductor oxide portion.
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Accused Products
Abstract
After formation of gate structures over semiconductor fins and prior to formation of raised active regions, a directional ion beam is employed to form a dielectric material portion on end walls of semiconductor fins that are perpendicular to the lengthwise direction of the semiconductor fins. The angle of the directional ion beam is selected to be with a vertical plane including the lengthwise direction of the semiconductor fins, thereby avoiding formation of the dielectric material portion on lengthwise sidewalls of the semiconductor fins. Selective epitaxy of semiconductor material is performed to grow raised active regions from sidewall surfaces of the semiconductor fins. Optionally, horizontal portions of the dielectric material portion may be removed prior to the selective epitaxy process. Further, the dielectric material portion may optionally be removed after the selective epitaxy process.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising:
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forming a semiconductor fin on a substrate; forming a planarization dielectric layer over said semiconductor fin; physically exposing a portion of a top surface of said semiconductor fin while another portion of said top surface of said semiconductor fin is covered with said planarization dielectric layer; converting a surface portion of said semiconductor fin into a semiconductor oxide portion employing an oxygen cluster implantation process in which clusters of oxygen atoms are implanted into said surface portion of said semiconductor fin; and removing said semiconductor oxide portion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of forming a semiconductor structure comprising:
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forming a plurality of semiconductor fins including two outermost semiconductor fins on a substrate; forming semiconductor oxide portions on outermost sidewalls of said plurality of semiconductor fins employing an oxygen cluster implantation process in which clusters of oxygen atoms are implanted into physically exposed and unshaded surface portions of said two outermost semiconductor fins while inner sidewalls of said two outermost semiconductor fins are at least partially shaded; and laterally thinning said two outermost semiconductor fins by removing said semiconductor oxide portions. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A semiconductor structure comprising:
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a semiconductor fin located on a substrate, said semiconductor fin having a same semiconductor composition throughout and including a body region, a fin source region, and a fin drain region, wherein a top surface of said body region is recessed relative to top surfaces of said fin source region and said fin drain region; and a gate stack straddling said body region, wherein sidewalls of a gate dielectric within said gate stack contact sidewalls of said fin source region and said fin drain region. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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- 20. A semiconductor structure comprising a semiconductor fin located on a substrate and including a first sidewall and a second sidewall, wherein said first and second sidewalls extend along a lengthwise direction of said semiconductor fin, a planar upper portion of said first sidewall is contained within a first planar vertical plane, a planar upper portion of said second sidewall is contained within a second planar vertical plane that is parallel to said first planar vertical plane, and a portion of said first sidewall includes a curved surface that protrudes outward from said first vertical plane by a distance that is greater than a maximum of any lateral deviation of said second sidewall from said second planar vertical plane.
Specification