Method of forming a FinFET device

1. A method, comprising:

providing a substrate;

forming a fin structure including a plurality of fins over the substrate;

after forming the fin structure, etching the substrate in a first longitudinal direction thereby forming a first opening in the first longitudinal direction, wherein etching the substrate in the first longitudinal direction includes removing at least a part of a first fin of the plurality of fins;

after forming the fin structure, forming a second opening in the substrate in a second longitudinal direction, wherein the first and second longitudinal directions are different; and

depositing a filling material in the first and second openings performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to remove excess filling material and uncover top portions of at least one fin of the plurality of fins of the fin structure and etching back the filling material thereby uncovering sidewalls of at least one fin of the plurality of fins of the fin structure.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the plurality of fins over the substrate includes:

forming a patterned mask layer over the substrate;

forming spacers on sidewalls of the patterned mask layer;

selectively removing the patterned mask layer; and

using the spacers as a hard mask to etch the substrate and thereby form the fin structure over the substrate.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the patterned mask layer includes a first dielectric material, and

wherein the spacers include a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the first dielectric material includes silicon nitride,

wherein the second dielectric material includes silicon oxide, and

wherein the filling material includes silicon oxide.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal direction.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each fin of the plurality of fins of the fin structure includes a height less than about 400 nm.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein

wherein forming the second opening in the substrate in the second longitudinal direction includes removing part of a second fin of the plurality of fins.

8. A method, comprising:

forming a fin structure including first and second fins over a substrate, wherein forming the fin structure includes:

forming a patterned mask layer over the substrate;

forming spacers on sidewalls of the patterned mask layer;

selectively removing the patterned mask layer; and

etching the substrate using the spacers as a hard mask to form the fin structure including first and second fins;

after forming the fin structure, etching the substrate including the fin structure in a first longitudinal direction thereby defining first isolation regions in the first longitudinal direction, wherein etching the substrate in the first longitudinal direction includes removing at least a part of the first fin of the fin structure;

after defining first isolation regions, etching the substrate including the fin structure in a second longitudinal direction thereby defining second isolation regions in the second longitudinal direction, the first and second longitudinal directions being different, wherein etching the substrate in the second longitudinal direction includes removing at least a part of the second fin of the fin structure;

depositing an insulation material over the substrate and within the first and second isolation regions;

performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to remove excess insulation material; and

etching back the insulation material to uncover sidewalls of the first and second fins of the fin structure.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein etching the substrate including the fin structure in the first longitudinal direction includes:

forming a first photoresist layer over the substrate;

patterning the first photoresist layer; and

using the patterned first photoresist layer to etch the substrate in the first longitudinal direction,

wherein the patterned first photoresist layer includes a plurality of substantially parallel and linear openings in the first longitudinal direction.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein etching the substrate in the second longitudinal direction includes:

forming a second photoresist layer over the substrate;

patterning the second photoresist layer; and

using the patterned second photoresist layer to etch the substrate in the second longitudinal direction,

wherein the patterned second photoresist layer includes a plurality of substantially parallel and linear openings in the second longitudinal direction.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the patterned mask layer includes a first dielectric material, and

wherein the spacers include a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first dielectric material includes silicon nitride,

wherein the second dielectric material includes silicon oxide, and

wherein the insulation material includes silicon oxide.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the first longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal direction.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein etching the substrate in the second longitudinal direction includes etching an end portion of at least one fin of the fin structure.

15. A method of forming a FinFET device, comprising:

etching a fin structure into a substrate;

forming a first patterned photoresist layer over the etched fin structure and the substrate, the first patterned photoresist layer including a plurality of substantially linear openings having a first longitudinal direction, wherein a first opening of the plurality of substantially linear openings of the first patterned photoresist layer exposes a top surface of a first fin of the fin structure;

etching the substrate using the first patterned photoresist layer thereby defining first shallow trench isolation (STI) regions in the first longitudinal direction, the first STI regions defining a first boundary of an active region including at least one fin of the fin structure;

forming a second patterned photoresist layer over the etched fin structure and the substrate, the second patterned photoresist layer including a plurality of substantially linear openings having a second longitudinal direction different from the first longitudinal direction, wherein a second opening of the plurality of substantially linear openings of the second patterned photoresist layer exposes a top surface of the first fin of the fin structure;

etching the substrate using the second patterned photoresist layer thereby defining second STI regions in the second longitudinal direction, the second STI regions defining a second boundary of the active region including at least one fin of the fin structure; and

depositing an insulation material substantially filling the first and second STI regions and covering the substrate.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to remove excess insulation material and the spacers thereby uncovering a top surface of at least one fin of the fin structure; and

etching back the insulation material to uncover sidewalls of the first fin of the fin structure.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein forming the fin structure over the substrate includes:

forming a patterned mask layer over the substrate;

forming spacers on sidewalls of the patterned mask layer;

selectively removing the patterned mask layer; and

using the spacers as a hard mask to etch the substrate and thereby form the fin structure over the substrate,

wherein the patterned mask layer includes a first dielectric material, and

wherein the spacers include a second dielectric material different from the first dielectric material.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the first longitudinal direction is substantially perpendicular to the second longitudinal direction.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein etching the substrate in the second longitudinal direction includes etching an end portion of the exposed first fin of the fin structure.