Nanowire semiconductor device including lateral-etch barrier region

1. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a semiconductor-on-insulator wafer including a buried insulator layer, the buried insulator layer including therein opposing etch barrier regions and a gate region between the etch barrier regions;

at least one nanowire including a channel portion interposed between opposing source/drain portions, the channel portion suspended in the gate region; and

a gate electrode in the gate region, the gate electrode completely surrounding the suspended nanowire,

wherein the buried insulator layer comprises a first electrical insulating material, and the etch barrier regions comprise a second electrical insulating material different from the first electrical insulating material, and

wherein the etch barrier regions are between the at least one nanowire and the buried insulator layer, and wherein a bottom surface of the channel portion is flush with an upper portion of the etch barrier region.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion of the etch barrier regions exclude undercuttings beneath the source/drain portions of the at least one nanowire.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein opposing sidewalls of the gate electrode contact the etch barrier regions.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 3 , further comprising spacers on the sidewalls of the gate electrode, the spacers including a bottom portion atop the etch barrier regions.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 4 , wherein inner sidewalls of the spacers are flush with inner sidewalls of the etch barrier regions.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 5 , wherein the undercuttings are excluded from beneath the spacers.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 5 , further comprising epitaxial raised source/drain regions covering the source/drain portions of the at least one nanowire.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein undercutting are excluded from beneath the epitaxial raised source/drain regions.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein the opposing etch barrier regions are interposed between the first electrical insulating material and the epitaxial raised source/drain regions.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical insulating material has a first etch rate and the second electrical insulating material has a second etch rate different than the first etch rate.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 10 , wherein the first etch rate is less than the second etch rate.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 11 , wherein the first electrical insulating material comprises silicon dioxide.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the second electrical insulating material comprises nitrogen-doped oxide.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the second electrical insulating material comprises carbon-doped oxide.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the opposing etch barrier regions have a vertical thickness ranging from 10 nanometers (nm) to 40 nm.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the buried insulator layer beneath the suspended channel portion defines an undercutting region.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein a distance between the undercutting region and a bottom surface of the suspended channel portion ranges from 20 nanometers (nm) to 30 nm.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the epitaxial raised source/drain regions comprise silicon (Si) doped with phosphorus (P).

19. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the epitaxial raised source/drain region comprises silicon (Si).

20. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the epitaxial raised source/drain regions comprises silicon germanium (SiGe).