Insulating layers on different semiconductor materials

1. A method of creating insulating layers on different semiconductor materials, comprising:

providing a substrate having a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region, wherein said first semiconductor region comprises a first semiconductor material of a first crystal orientation having a first uppermost surface, and said second region comprises said first semiconductor material having a second uppermost surface which is located adjacent to and beneath said first uppermost surface;

epitaxially growing a second semiconductor material on said second uppermost surface, wherein said second semiconductor material has said first crystal orientation and a chemical composition different from said first semiconductor material;

forming a trench isolation region between sidewall edges of the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material, said trench isolation region having a depth extending into a portion of the substrate;

non-epitaxially depositing a continuous sacrificial layer of approximately constant thickness onto the first semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material and an upper surface of the trench isolation region; and

converting the sacrificial layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 without oxidizing more than 10 angstroms into the second semiconductor material, wherein said converting the sacrificial layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 comprises radical oxidation at a temperature of about 900° C.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first semiconductor material is silicon and the second semiconductor material is silicon germanium.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the non-epitaxially depositing comprises depositing the continuous sacrificial layer using molecular layer deposition.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous sacrificial layer has an approximately constant thickness in a range from approximately 10 angstroms to approximately 50 angstroms.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous sacrificial layer comprises silicon nitride.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous sacrificial layer comprises amorphous silicon.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous sacrificial layer comprises polycrystalline silicon.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the continuous sacrificial layer comprises silicon carbide.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the converting includes converting the sacrificial layer entirely into an SiO 2 layer.

10. A method of creating insulating layers on different semiconductor materials, comprising:

providing a substrate comprising a first semiconductor material and having a first crystal orientation, said first semiconductor material consisting essentially of Si;

recessing a portion of said substrate providing a structure comprising a first semiconductor region of said first semiconductor material having an uppermost surface and a second semiconductor region of said first semiconductor material comprising a second uppermost surface, said second uppermost surface is located adjacent to and beneath said first uppermost surface;

epitaxially growing a second semiconductor material having a different chemical composition than said first semiconductor material from said second uppermost surface, said second semiconductor material having said first crystal orientation;

forming a trench isolation region between sidewall edges of the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material, said trench isolation region having a depth extending into a portion of the substrate;

molecular layer depositing a continuous silicon nitride layer of approximately constant thickness conformally onto the first semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material and an upper surface of the trench isolation region; and

converting the silicon nitride layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 without oxidizing more than 10 angstroms into the second semiconductor material, wherein said converting the silicon nitride layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 comprises radical oxidation at a temperature of about 900° C.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the approximately constant thickness is in a range from approximately 10 angstroms to approximately 50 angstroms.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the second semiconductor material consists essentially of SiGe.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the silicon nitride layer is entirely converted into SiO 2 without oxidizing any of the second semiconductor material.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the second material layer consists essentially of SiGe.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said converting the silicon nitride layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 comprises a pressure of 7 T and with a hydrogen concentration of 5%.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein said converting the silicon nitride layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 comprises a pressure of 7 T and with a hydrogen concentration of 5%.

17. A method of creating insulating layers on different semiconductor materials, comprising:

providing a substrate having a first semiconductor region and a second semiconductor region, wherein said first semiconductor region comprises a first semiconductor material of a first crystal orientation having a first uppermost surface, and said second region comprises said first semiconductor material having a second uppermost surface which is located adjacent to and beneath said first uppermost surface;

epitaxially growing a second semiconductor material on said second uppermost surface, wherein said second semiconductor material has said first crystal orientation and a chemical composition different from said first semiconductor material;

forming a trench isolation region between sidewall edges of the first semiconductor material and the second semiconductor material, said trench isolation region having a depth extending into a portion of the substrate;

non-epitaxially depositing a continuous sacrificial layer of approximately constant thickness onto the first semiconductor material, the second semiconductor material and an upper surface of the trench isolation region; and

converting the sacrificial layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 without oxidizing more than 10 angstroms into the second semiconductor material, wherein said converting the sacrificial layer into a layer consisting essentially of SiO 2 comprises wet oxidation.