FinFET and method of fabrication
View Patent ↗An improved finFET and method of fabrication is disclosed. Embodiments of the present invention take advantage of the different epitaxial growth rates of {110} and {100} silicon. Fins are formed that have {110} silicon on the fin tops and {100} silicon on the long fin sides (sidewalls). The lateral epitaxial growth rate is faster than the vertical epitaxial growth rate. The resulting merged fins have a reduced merged region in the vertical dimension, which reduces parasitic capacitance. Other fins are formed with {110} silicon on the fin tops and also {110} silicon on the long fin sides. These fins have a slower epitaxial growth rate than the {100} side fins, and remain unmerged in a semiconductor integrated circuit, such as an SRAM circuit.
1. A semiconductor structure comprising:
a first semiconductor fin disposed on a substrate, wherein the first semiconductor fin comprises a top surface and two sidewall surfaces comprising a {100} crystalline plane, and wherein the first semiconductor fin top surface is comprised of a {110} crystalline plane; and
a second semiconductor fin, wherein the second semiconductor fin comprises a top surface and two sidewall surfaces comprising a non-{100} crystalline plane, and wherein the second semiconductor fin top surface is comprised of a {110} crystalline plane; and
wherein the two sidewall surfaces of the second semiconductor fin are comprised of a {111} crystalline plane; and
further comprising a third semiconductor fin oriented parallel to the first semiconductor fin, and wherein a gate is disposed on the first fin and third fin, oriented perpendicular to the first fin and third fin, and wherein an epitaxial semiconductor region is disposed on the first semiconductor fin and third semiconductor fin, and wherein the epitaxial semiconductor region is disposed adjacent to the gate; and
wherein the epitaxial semiconductor region is comprised of silicon.
2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is comprised of an insulator layer, and wherein the substrate is disposed on a semiconductor layer.
3. The semiconductor structure of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is comprised of silicon.
4. An integrated circuit comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a top surface comprised of a {110} crystalline plane;
a first group of finFET transistors comprising a plurality of gates, and a first set of fins, the first set of fins having fin sidewalls, the first set of fins oriented on the semiconductor substrate such that its fin sidewalls have a {100} crystalline plane; and
a second group of finFET transistors comprising a second set of fins, the second set of fins having fin sidewalls, the second set of fins oriented on the semiconductor substrate such that the fin sidewalls of the second set of fins have a non-{100} crystalline plane; and wherein the first group of fins are merged by an epitaxial semiconductor region disposed between the plurality of gates, and wherein the second group of fins are unmerged.
5. The integrated circuit of claim 4 , wherein the integrated circuit comprises a static random access memory circuit.
6. The integrated circuit of claim 5 , wherein the static random access memory circuit comprises a plurality of memory cell transistors and a plurality of logic transistors, and wherein the plurality of memory cell transistors are comprised of the second set of fins, and wherein the plurality of logic transistors are comprised of the first set of fins.