# US 2014/0191323 A1 · Method of forming finfet of variable channel width

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- Number: US 2014/0191323 A1
- Document ID: US20140191323A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/736,111
- Filed: 2013-01-08
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2013-01-08
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Marc Adam Bergendahl; David Vaclav Horak; Shom Ponoth; Chih-Chao Yang; Charles William Koburger, III
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140191323A1

## CPC

- H10D 84/834: {comprising FinFETs}
- H10D 30/62: Fin field-effect transistors [FinFET]
- H10D 84/0158: {the components including FinFETs}
- H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe}
- H10D 84/8311: {the IGFETs characterised by having different channel structures}
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

Embodiments of present invention provide a method of forming a first and a second group of fins on a substrate; covering a top first portion of the first and second groups of fins with a first dielectric material; covering a bottom second portion of the first and second groups of fins with a second dielectric material, the bottom second portion of the first group and the second group of fins having a same height; exposing a middle third portion of the first and second groups of fins to an oxidizing environment to create an oxide section that separates the top first portion from the bottom second portion of the first and second groups of fins; and forming one or more fin-type field-effect-transistors (FinFETs) using the top first portion of the first and second groups of fins as fins under gates of the one or more FinFETs.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
forming a first and a second group of fins on a substrate;
covering a top first portion of said first and second groups of fins with a first dielectric material;
covering a bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins with a second dielectric material, said bottom second portion of said first group of fins having a same height as said bottom second portion of said second group of fins;
exposing a middle third portion of said first and second groups of fins to an oxidizing environment to create an oxide section that separates said top first portion from said bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins; and
forming one or more fin-type field-effect-transistors (FinFETs) using said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins as fins under gates of said one or more FinFETs.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein covering said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins comprises covering said top first portion of said first group of fins of a height that is different from said top first portion of said second group of fins.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein covering said bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins comprises:
depositing said second dielectric material on top of said substrate to cover said first and second groups of fins; and
uniformly recessing said second dielectric material and causing said second dielectric material to cover a same height of said bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein top surfaces of said first and second groups of fins are covered by a hard mask layer, and wherein covering said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins comprises:
forming spacers of said first dielectric material directly next to sidewalls of said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins that are not covered by said second dielectric material; and
causing said spacers and said hard mask layer to form dielectric covers over said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein exposing said middle third portion of said first and second groups of fins to an oxidizing environment comprises:
recessing said second dielectric material to expose said middle third portion of said first and second groups of fins that are next to said top first portion and said bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins and are previously covered by said second dielectric material; and
causing said middle third portion to be oxidized to insulate said top first portion from said bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
removing said first dielectric material to expose said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins;
depositing a layer of high dielectric constant (high-k) material covering said exposed top first portion of said first and second groups of fins; and
forming one or more gate structures, of said one or more FinFETs, on top of said layer of high-k dielectric material and crossing said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein covering said top first portion of said first and second groups of fins comprises:
depositing a layer of said second dielectric material on top of said substrate and said first and second groups of fins;
applying a first selective etching process to recess said layer of said second dielectric material to expose said top first portion of said first group of fins and a corresponding portion of said second group of fins;
covering a portion of said recessed layer of said second dielectric material surrounding said first group of fins, leaving rest of said recessed layer of said second dielectric material uncovered;
applying a second selective etching process to further recess said rest of said recessed layer of said second dielectric material to expose said top first portion of said second group of fins; and
forming spacers directly next to sidewalls of said first and second groups of fins.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein covering said bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins further comprises, after forming said spacers directly next to sidewalls of said first and said second groups of fins:
depositing a sacrificial dielectric layer on top of said recessed layer of said second dielectric material, said sacrificial dielectric layer being materially substantially same as said recessed layer of said second dielectric material;
applying a chemical-mechanic-polishing (CMP) process to create a flat top surface of said sacrificial dielectric layer; and
selectively etching said sacrificial dielectric layer and underneath said recessed layer of said second dielectric material in creating a layer of said second dielectric material of uniform thickness covering said bottom second portion of said first and second groups of fins.

### Claim 9

A method comprising:
forming a set of fins on a substrate, said set of fins having a top first portion, a bottom second portion, and a middle third portion directly underneath said top first portion and directly above said bottom second portion;
oxidizing said middle third portion to create an oxide section in each of said set of fins, said oxide section comprising a first group thereof, having a first bottom and a first height and corresponding to a first group of said set of fins, and a second group thereof, having a second bottom and a second height and corresponding to a second group of said set of fins, said first bottom having a same height as said second bottom and said first height being higher than said second height; and
applying said top first portion of said set of fins in forming one or more fin-type field-effect-transistors (FinFETs).

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein oxidizing said middle third portion comprises:
covering said top first portion of said set of fins with a first dielectric material;
covering said bottom second portion and said middle third portion of said set of fins with a second dielectric material;
recessing said second dielectric material to expose said middle third portion of said set of fins; and
subjecting said exposed middle third portion of said set of fins to an oxidizing environment.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein covering said top first portion of said set of fins comprises:
covering top surfaces of said set of fins with a hard mask layer; and
forming spacers of said first dielectric material directly next to sidewalls of said top first portion of said set of fins that are not covered by said second dielectric material.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising causing said middle third portion of said set of fins to insulate said top first portion from said bottom second portion of said set of fins.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, further comprising:
removing said first dielectric material that covers said top first portion of said set of fins;
depositing a layer of high dielectric constant (high-k) material covering said exposed top first portion of said set of fins; and
forming one or more gate structures, of said one or more FinFETs, crossing said set of fins on top of said layer of high-k dielectric material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein covering said top first portion of said set of fins comprises covering said top first portion of a first height of said first group of said set of fins and covering said top first portion of a second height of said second group of said set of fins with said first dielectric material, wherein said second height of said top first portion of said second group of said set of fins being higher than said first height of said top first portion of said first group of said set of fins.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein covering said top first portion of said set of fins comprises:
depositing a layer of said second dielectric material on top of said substrate and said set of fins;
applying a first selective etching process to recess said layer of said second dielectric material to expose said top first portion of said first group of said set of fins and a corresponding portion of said second group of said set of fins;
covering a portion of said recessed layer of said second dielectric material surrounding said first group of said set of fins, leaving rest of said recessed layer of said second dielectric material uncovered; and
applying a second selective etching process to further recess said rest of said recessed layer of said second dielectric material to expose said top first portion of said second group of said set of fins.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein said bottom second portion of said first group of said set of fins have a same height as said bottom second portion of said second group of said set of fins.

### Claim 17

(canceled)

### Claim 18

(canceled)

### Claim 19

(canceled)

### Claim 20

(canceled)

### Claim 21

A method comprising:
forming a set of fins on a substrate, said set of fins having a top first portion, a bottom second portion, and a middle third portion directly underneath said top first portion and directly above said bottom second portion;
oxidizing said middle third portion to create an oxide section in each of said set of fins, said oxide section comprising a first group thereof, having a first height and corresponding to a first group of said set of fins, and a second group thereof, having a second height and corresponding to a second group of said set of fins, said first height being higher than said second height; and
applying said top first portion of said set of fins in forming one or more fin-type field-effect-transistors (FinFETs),
wherein oxidizing said middle third portion comprises:
covering said top first portion of said set of fins with a first dielectric material;
covering said bottom second portion and said middle third portion of said set of fins with a second dielectric material;
recessing said second dielectric material to expose said middle third portion of said set of fins; and
subjecting said exposed middle third portion of said set of fins to an oxidizing environment, and
wherein covering said top first portion of said set of fins comprises:
covering top surfaces of said set of fins with a hard mask layer; and
forming spacers of said first dielectric material directly next to sidewalls of said top first portion of said set of fins that are not covered by said second dielectric material.
