Vertical transistors with different gate lengths

1. A method for forming a vertical field-effect-transistor (VFET) device, comprising the steps of:

patterning fins in a substrate using fin hardmasks, wherein at least one of the fins comprises a vertical fin channel of a first FET device (FET 1 ) and at least another one of the fins comprises a vertical fin channel of a second FET device (FET 2 ), and wherein the fins extend partway through the substrate;

forming a bottom source and drain in the substrate beneath the fins;

forming bottom spacers on the bottom source and drain;

forming gates surrounding the vertical fin channel of the FET 1 and the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 ;

forming top spacers on the gates;

depositing an interlayer dielectric (ILD) over the fins;

removing the fin hardmasks to form trenches in the ILD over the fins;

forming sacrificial spacers along sidewalls of the trenches that cover side portions of the vertical fin channel of the FET 1 and the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 ;

recessing at least one of the vertical fin channel of the FET 1 and the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 between the sacrificial spacers such that a sliver of vertical fin channel material remains after the recessing;

removing the sacrificial spacers; and

forming top source and drains at the tops of the fins, wherein the step of forming the top source and drains comprises varying a positioning of the top source and drains relative to at least one of the vertical fin channel of the FET 1 and the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 such that the FET 1 has an effective gate length Lgate 1 and the FET 2 has an effective gate length Lgate 2 , and wherein Lgate 1 >Lgate 2 .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is undoped.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gates surrounding the vertical fin channel of the FET 1 and the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 all have a same physical gate length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the gates comprises the steps of:

depositing a gate dielectric onto the fins; and

depositing a gate conductor onto the gate dielectric.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the gate dielectric comprises a high-κ material selected from the group consisting of: hafnium oxide (HfO 2 ), lanthanum oxide (La 2 O 3 ), and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the gate conductor comprises a metal selected from the group consisting of: titanium nitride (TiN), tantalum nitride (TaN), aluminum (Al)-containing alloys, titanium aluminide (TiAl), titanium aluminum nitride (TiAlN), titanium aluminum carbide (TiAlC), tantalum aluminide (TaAl), tantalum aluminum nitride (TaAlN), tantalum aluminum carbide (TaAlC), tungsten (W), and combinations thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recessing step further comprises the steps of:

forming a first block mask covering the FET 1 ;

recessing the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 between the sacrificial spacers to a first depth D 1 ;

removing the first block mask;

forming a second block mask covering the FET 2 ;

recessing the vertical fin channel of the FET 1 between the sacrificial spacers to a second depth D 2 , wherein D 2 <D 1 ; and

removing the second block mask.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising the step of:

forming the top source and drains i) over the vertical fin channel of the FET 1 that has been recessed to depth D 2 and ii) over the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 which has been recessed to depth D 1 such that the positioning of the top source and drains is different in the FET 1 and the FET 2 .

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the recessing step further comprises the steps of:

forming a block mask covering the FET 1 ;

recessing the vertical fin channel of the FET 2 between the sacrificial spacers; and

removing the block mask.