IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,163,729
Granted Patent B2
US 10,163,729 · App. 15/924,350 · Granted Dec 25, 2018

Silicon and silicon germanium nanowire formation

Inventors: Kuo-Cheng Ching (Zhubei, TW); Carlos H. Diaz (Mountain View, CA); Jean-Pierre Colinge (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
H01L21/823821B82Y10/00B82Y40/00H01L21/823807H01L27/092H01L27/0924H01L29/0673H01L29/16H01L29/42392H01L29/66439H01L29/775H01L29/78H01L29/7853H01L29/78696H01L29/6681
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,163,729
App. No.
15/924,350
Granted
Dec 25, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Among other things, one or semiconductor arrangements, and techniques for forming such semiconductor arrangements are provided. For example, one or more silicon and silicon germanium stacks are utilized to form PMOS transistors comprising germanium nanowire channels and NMOS transistors comprising silicon nanowire channels. In an example, a first silicon and silicon germanium stack is oxidized to transform silicon to silicon oxide regions, which are removed to form germanium nanowire channels for PMOS transistors. In another example, silicon and germanium layers within a second silicon and silicon germanium stack are removed to form silicon nanowire channels for NMOS transistors. PMOS transistors having germanium nanowire channels and NMOS transistors having silicon nanowire channels are formed as part of a single fabrication process.

Claims (59)

1. A semiconductor arrangement, comprising:

a first nanowire transistor comprising:

a first nanowire channel formed between a first source region and a first drain region;

a second nanowire channel formed between the first source region and the first drain region; and

an interfacial layer at least partially surrounding the first nanowire channel and the second nanowire channel, wherein the interfacial layer pinches off a space between the first nanowire channel and the second nanowire channel.

2. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the second nanowire channel overlies the first nanowire channel.

3. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first nanowire channel comprises germanium.

4. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the second nanowire channel comprises germanium.

5. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 1 , comprising:

a gate dielectric at least partially surrounding the interfacial layer; and

a gate electrode at least partially surrounding the gate dielectric.

6. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the interfacial layer comprises at least one of an oxide or a nitride.

7. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 1 , comprising:

a second nanowire transistor comprising a third nanowire channel, wherein:

a substrate underlies the first nanowire transistor and the second nanowire transistor,

a distance between a surface of the substrate and a bottom surface of the first nanowire channel is different than a distance between the surface of the substrate and a bottom surface of the third nanowire channel.

8. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 7 , wherein the first nanowire channel comprises a different material composition than the third nanowire channel.

9. The semiconductor arrangement of claim 1 , wherein:

the interfacial layer is in contact with an outer perimeter of the first nanowire channel, and

the semiconductor arrangement comprises:

a gate dielectric separated from the first nanowire channel by the interfacial layer.

10. A method for forming a semiconductor arrangement, comprising:

forming a first stack comprising a first layer having a first composition and a second layer having a second composition;

forming a source/drain region adjacent a first end of the first stack;

applying oxygen to the first stack to oxidize the first stack to transform the first layer into an oxidized first layer after forming the source/drain region;

etching the first stack, after being oxidized, to remove the oxidized first layer, wherein at least a portion of the second layer forms a first nanowire channel; and

forming a first gate structure at least partially surrounding the first nanowire channel.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second layer comprises germanium and applying the oxygen to the first stack comprises pushing the germanium inwardly to concentrate the germanium in a center region of the second layer.

12. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

forming an interfacial layer at least partially surrounding the first nanowire channel prior to forming the first gate structure.

13. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

forming a second stack comprising the first layer and the second layer;

masking the second stack prior to applying the oxygen to the first stack;

unmasking the second stack after etching the first stack;

masking the first stack; and

etching the second stack while the first stack is masked to remove the second layer from the second stack.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

annealing the first layer of the second stack after etching the second stack to form a second nanowire channel; and

forming a second gate structure at least partially surrounding the second nanowire channel.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein:

annealing the first layer comprises changing a surface profile of the first layer.

16. A method for forming a semiconductor arrangement, comprising:

forming a first stack comprising a first layer having a first composition and a second layer having a second composition;

etching an isolation structure adjacent the first stack to expose the first layer and the second layer;

applying oxygen to the first stack to oxidize the first stack prior to etching the first stack;

etching the first stack, after the first layer and the second layer are exposed, to remove the first layer, wherein at least a portion of the second layer forms a first nanowire channel; and

forming a first gate structure at least partially surrounding the first nanowire channel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein:

the first stack comprises a third layer having the first composition and a fourth layer having the second composition,

the third layer is between the second layer and the fourth layer,

etching the isolation structure comprises exposing the third layer and the fourth layer,

etching the first stack comprises removing the third layer, wherein at least a portion of the fourth layer forms a second nanowire channel; and

the method comprises:

forming an interfacial layer, wherein the interfacial layer pinches off a space between the first nanowire channel and the second nanowire channel.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein forming the first gate structure comprises forming the first gate structure to at least partially surround the interfacial layer.

19. The method of claim 16 , comprising:

growing a source/drain region to contact the first layer and the second layer prior to etching the first stack.

20. The method of claim 10 , comprising:

etching the first stack to define a recess, wherein forming the source/drain region comprises forming the source/drain region in the recess.

Continuity (4)
Continuation 15463326 · Mar 20, 2017
Continuation 14929504 · Nov 2, 2015
Division 13971239 · Aug 20, 2013
Related Publication 20180211884A1 · Jul 26, 2018
Cited By (2)
US 12,408,431 US 12,581,677