US 9,865,684 B2 · Nanoscale structure with epitaxial film having a recessed bottom portion

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention includes an epitaxial layer that directly contacts, for example, a nanowire, fin, or pillar in a manner that allows the layer to relax with two or three degrees of freedom. The epitaxial layer may be included in a channel region of a transistor. The nanowire, fin, or pillar may be removed to provide greater access to the epitaxial layer. Doing so may allow for a “all-around gate” structure where the gate surrounds the top, bottom, and sidewalls of the epitaxial layer. Other embodiments are described herein.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An apparatus comprising:

a substrate having a first lattice constant;
an epitaxial (EPI) layer, having a second lattice constant different from the first lattice constant, including a bottom portion and opposing sidewall portions;
a transistor channel including the EPI layer;
and
a fin on the substrate;
wherein (a) the bottom portion includes a recess in-between the opposing sidewall portions, (b) the recess does not include the fin but does include a dielectric material, and (c) a horizontal axis, parallel to the substrate, intersects the recess, the dielectric material, and the opposing sidewall portions.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

14/707,292Filed 8 May 2015 · continuation

Priority

20 Dec 2012

Published

US 2015/0249131 A13 Sep 2015

Granted

9 Jan 2018

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

H10D 62/235
Of FETs: of igfets
H10D 30/019
Manufacture or treatment: of FETs having stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon channels
H10D 30/43
FETs having zero-dimensional [0D], one-dimensional [1D] or two-dimensional [2D] charge carrier gas channels: having one-dimensional [1D] charge…
H10D 30/501
Field-effect transistors [FET]: fETs having stacked nanowire, nanosheet or nanoribbon channels

Family

Application13/721,759Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Dec 2012

US 2015/0249131 A1Pre-grant publication · published 3 Sep 2015

US 9,029,835 B2Parent of this continuation

US 2014/0175379 A1Published application

US 9,865,684 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Nanoscale structure with epitaxial film having a recessed bottom portion

Life of this patent

Nanoscale structure with epitaxial film having a recessed bottom portion

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20