Strained finFET device fabrication

A method for fabricating a fin, the method comprising:

• patterning and etching a layer of a first semiconductor material to define a fin;
• depositing a layer of a second semiconductor material over the fin, the second semiconductor material including amorphous silicon;
• forming a hardmask layer directly on the layer of the second semiconductor material, the hardmask layer being over an entirety of the longitudinal length of the fin, the hardmask layer including a silicon nitride material;
• etching to remove a portion of the hardmask layer and a portion of the second semiconductor material to define a cavity that exposes a portion of the fin;
• depositing a spacer material along sidewalls of the cavity;
• oxidizing the exposed portion of the fin such that the fin includes a first semiconductor material segment, a second semiconductor material segment and an oxidized material portion disposed between the first semiconductor material segment and the second semiconductor material segment, the first semiconductor material segment including the second semiconductor material and the hardmask layer over an entirety of a longitudinal length of the first semiconductor material segment, and the second semiconductor material segment including the second semiconductor material and the hardmask layer over an entirety of a longitudinal length of the second semiconductor material segment;
• etching to remove a portion of the hardmask layer and a portion of the second semiconductor material to expose a portion of the fin and define a dummy gate stack over the first segment of the fin that partially defines a channel region on the fin;
• forming spacers on the portion of the fin exposed by the etching and adjacent to the dummy gate stack;
• forming active regions in the first segment of the fin;
• growing an insulator material over exposed portions of the fin;
• removing the dummy gate stack;
• and
• forming a gate stack on the channel region of the fin.