Methods of forming a three-dimensional semiconductor device with a dual stress channel and the resulting device

1. A method of forming a device, comprising:

forming first and second spaced-apart trenches that extend at least partially into a semiconducting substrate, said first and second trenches defining a fin structure for said device;

forming a first stress-inducing material having a first type of stress in said first trench;

forming a second stress-inducing material in said second trench, said second stress-inducing material having a second stress that is a different type than said first type of stress; and

forming a gate structure around a portion of said fin structure.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first stress-inducing material has one of a compressive stress, a tensile stress or a neutral stress.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said second stress-inducing material has one of a compressive stress, a tensile stress or a neutral stress.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first stress-inducing material has a compressive stress and said second stress-inducing material has a tensile stress or a neutral stress.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first stress-inducing material has a tensile stress and said second stress-inducing material has a compressive stress or a neutral stress.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first stress-inducing material has a neutral stress and said second stress-inducing material has a compressive stress or a tensile stress.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said gate structure comprises a gate insulation layer comprised of a high-k insulating material and a gate electrode comprised of at least one layer of metal.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said gate structure comprises a gate insulation layer comprised of silicon dioxide and a gate electrode comprised of polysilicon or amorphous silicon.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second trenches have different depths relative to an upper surface of said substrate.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second trenches have different lateral widths.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said first and second trenches have different lateral widths.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first and second stress-inducing materials are comprised of the same material.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, prior to forming said first stress-inducing material, performing an ion implant process to define an implant region comprised of one of germanium, argon or xenon in said substrate proximate a bottom of said first trench.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming said second trench comprises performing an etching process comprised of a first anisotropic etching process followed by performing a second isotropic etching process to define a rounded bottom portion of said second trench.

15. A method of forming a device, comprising:

forming a patterned mask layer above a semiconducting substrate;

performing at least one first etching process through said patterned mask layer to form a first trench in said substrate;

forming a first stress-inducing material having a first type of stress in said first trench;

removing a portion of said first patterned masking layer;

after removing said portion of said first patterned masking layer, performing at least one second etching process to form a second trench in said substrate, wherein said first and second trenches define a fin structure for said device;

forming a second stress-inducing material in said second trench, said second stress-inducing material having a second stress that is a different type than said first type of stress;

performing at least one process operation to reduce a thickness of said first and second stress-inducing materials so as to expose a desired portion of said fin structure; and

forming a gate structure around a portion of said exposed fin structure.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming said first stress-inducing material comprises forming said first stress-inducing material layer such that it has one of a compressive stress, a tensile stress or a neutral stress.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming said second stress-inducing material comprises forming said second stress-inducing material layer such that it has one of a compressive stress, a tensile stress or a neutral stress.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein said first stress-inducing material has a compressive stress and said second stress-inducing material has a tensile stress or a neutral stress.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein said first stress-inducing material has a tensile stress and said second stress-inducing material has a compressive stress or a neutral stress.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein said first stress-inducing material has a neutral stress and said second stress-inducing material has a compressive stress or a tensile stress.

21. The method of claim 15 , wherein said first and second trenches have different depths relative to an upper surface of said substrate.

22. The method of claim 15 , wherein said first and second trenches have different lateral widths.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein said first and second trenches have different lateral widths.

24. The method of claim 15 , further comprising, prior to forming said first stress-inducing material, performing an ion implant process to define an implant region comprised of one of germanium, argon or xenon in said substrate proximate a bottom of said first trench.

25. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming said second trench comprises performing an etching process comprised of a first anisotropic etching process followed by performing a second isotropic etching process to define a rounded bottom portion of said second trench.