Epitaxial silicon germanium fin formation using sacrificial silicon fin templates

1. A method of forming semiconductor fins, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of sacrificial template fins from a first semiconductor material;

forming sidewall spacers on upper portions of the sacrificial template fins, leaving lower portions of the sacrificial template fins exposed;

epitaxially growing fins of a second semiconductor material on exposed sidewall surfaces of the sacrificial template fins; and

removing the plurality of sacrificial template fins.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor material comprises silicon (Si) and the second semiconductor material comprises silicon germanium (SiGe).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing the plurality of sacrificial template fins further comprises removing a hardmask layer from a top surface of the sacrificial template fins and performing an etch process, such that the epitaxially grown fins of the second semiconductor material are protected from the etch process by the sidewall spacers.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising removing the sidewall spacers following removing the plurality of sacrificial template fins.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the sidewall spacers further comprises:

depositing a protective material over the plurality of sacrificial template fins;

recessing the protective material to expose the upper portions of the sacrificial template fins; and

depositing a sidewall spacer layer over the exposed upper portions of the sacrificial template fins, and directionally etching the sidewall spacer layer to form the sidewall spacers.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the protective material comprises a flowable oxide material.

7. A method of forming semiconductor fins, the method comprising:

forming a plurality of sacrificial silicon template fins from a silicon layer;

forming sidewall spacers on upper portions of the sacrificial template fins, leaving lower portions of the sacrificial template fins exposed;

epitaxially growing silicon germanium (SiGe) fins on exposed sidewall surfaces of the sacrificial silicon template fins; and

removing the plurality of sacrificial silicon template fins.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein removing the plurality of sacrificial template fins further comprises removing a hardmask layer from a top surface of the sacrificial silicon template fins and performing an etch process, such that the epitaxially grown SiGe fins of the second semiconductor material are protected from the etch process by the sidewall spacers.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising removing the sidewall spacers following removing the plurality of sacrificial silicon template fins.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein forming the sidewall spacers further comprises:

depositing a flowable oxide material over the plurality of sacrificial silicon template fins;

recessing the flowable oxide material to expose the upper portions of the sacrificial silicon template fins; and

depositing a nitride spacer layer over the exposed upper portions of the sacrificial silicon template fins and the hardmask layer, and directionally etching the nitride spacer layer to form the sidewall spacers.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the hardmask layer has an etch selectivity to oxide.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the hardmask layer comprises amorphous carbon.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the silicon layer has an initial thickness that exceeds a height of the epitaxially grown SiGe fins.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the height of the epitaxially grown SiGe fins is from about 20 nanometers (nm) to about 60 nm.