Optimized proximity profile for strained source/drain feature and method of fabricating thereof

1. A method comprising:

forming a source/drain recess in a source/drain region of a fin, wherein the forming the source/drain recess includes:

performing a first anisotropic etch process,

tuning first parameters of the first anisotropic etch process to provide the source/drain recess with a U-shaped profile,

thereafter, performing an isotropic etch process,

tuning second parameters of the isotropic etch process to provide the source/drain recess with a bowl-shaped profile,

thereafter, performing a second anisotropic etch process, and

tuning third parameters of the second anisotropic etch process to provide the source/drain recess with a profile that resembles a light portion of a candle-shaped light bulb; and

filling the source/drain recess with an epitaxial semiconductor material.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising tuning the first parameters of the first anisotropic etch process and the second parameters of the isotropic etch process to define a location of a source/drain tip, wherein a depth of the source/drain recess after the first anisotropic etch process and the isotropic etch process is less than a target depth for the source/drain recess.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising tuning the third parameters of the second anisotropic etch process to extend the depth of the source/drain recess to the target depth.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first anisotropic etch process and the second anisotropic etch process implement a same etching gas, wherein a first duration of the first anisotropic etch process is different than a second duration of the second anisotropic etch process.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first anisotropic etch process, the isotropic etch process, and the second anisotropic etch process are selective dry etch processes.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first anisotropic etch process and the second anisotropic etch process implement a hydrogen-and-bromine-containing etch gas and the isotropic etch process implements a fluorine-and-chlorine-containing etch gas.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fin has a fin height, the source/drain recess has tips having a tip depth that is about 10% of the fin height to about 40% of the fin height, and the source/drain recess has a proximity footing that is greater than about 8 nm at depths greater than about 80% of the fin height.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filling the source/drain recess with the epitaxial semiconductor material includes:

forming a first epitaxial semiconductor layer along surfaces of the fin defining the source/drain recess, wherein the first epitaxial semiconductor layer has a first concentration of a constituent; and

forming a second epitaxial semiconductor layer over the first epitaxial semiconductor layer, wherein the second epitaxial semiconductor layer has a second concentration of the constituent, wherein the second concentration is greater than the first concentration.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a third anisotropic etch process to form gate spacers, wherein the third anisotropic etch process begins formation of the source/drain recess.

10. A device comprising:

a fin having a fin height;

a gate stack disposed over a channel region of the fin;

a gate spacer disposed along a sidewall of the gate stack, wherein the gate spacer has a gate spacer thickness; and

an epitaxial source/drain feature disposed in a source/drain region of the fin, wherein the epitaxial source/drain feature has a candle light bulb-shaped cross-sectional profile, such that the epitaxial source/drain feature includes:

a top portion disposed over a top surface of the fin,

a middle portion disposed between the top surface of the fin and tips of the epitaxial source/drain feature, and

a bottom portion disposed between the top surface of the fin and a depth of the epitaxial source/drain feature in the fin, wherein:

a tip depth of the tips of the epitaxial source/drain feature is about 10% of the fin height to about 40% of the fin height; and

a proximity footing of the bottom portion of the epitaxial source/drain feature is greater than about 8 nm at depths greater than about 80% of the fin height.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein a tip proximity of the tips of the epitaxial source/drain feature is about 50% of the gate spacer thickness to about 90% of the gate spacer thickness.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein a first width of the top portion is substantially the same along a first thickness of the top portion, a second width of the middle portion increases along a second thickness of the middle portion, and a third width of the bottom portion decreases along a third thickness of the bottom portion, wherein the first thickness, the second thickness, and the third thickness extend substantially parallel to a fin height direction.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the third thickness is greater than the second thickness and greater than the first thickness.

14. The device of claim 10 , further comprising a source/drain contact that extends through the top portion and into the middle portion.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein:

the middle portion of the epitaxial source/drain feature includes a first epitaxial layer and a second epitaxial layer; and

the first epitaxial layer is disposed between sidewalls of the source/drain contact and the second epitaxial layer.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein a thickness of the first epitaxial layer disposed between the sidewalls of the source/drain contact and the second epitaxial layer is greater than or equal to about 2 nm.

17. A device comprising:

a fin disposed over a substrate, wherein the fin extends along a first direction;

a gate structure disposed over a channel region of the fin, wherein the gate structure extends along a second direction that is different than the first direction, the gate structure includes a metal gate and gate spacers disposed along sidewalls of the metal gate, the metal gate has a gate footing at an interface between the fin and the metal gate, and the gate spacers have a gate spacer thickness along the first direction; and

epitaxial source/drain features disposed in source/drain regions of the fin, wherein the gate structure is disposed between the epitaxial source/drain features along the first direction, and further wherein each of the epitaxial source/drain features includes:

a first portion having a first width along the first direction, wherein the first width increases from a bottom of the epitaxial source/drain features to a maximum width of the epitaxial source/drain features along the first direction,

a second portion disposed over the first portion, wherein the second portion has a second width along the first direction and the second width decreases from the maximum width of the epitaxial source/drain features along the first direction to a top surface of the fin,

a third portion disposed over the second portion, wherein the second portion has a third width along the first direction, wherein the third width is substantially the same from the top surface of the fin to top surfaces of the epitaxial source/drain features, and

wherein a distance along the first direction between the epitaxial source/drain features at the maximum width and sidewalls of the metal gate is about 5 nm to about 8 nm and a distance between the gate footing and the first portion of the epitaxial source/drain features is greater than about 6 nm.

18. The device of claim 17 , wherein:

the metal gate has a gate length along the first direction and a gate height along a third direction that is different than the first direction and the second direction; and

a ratio of the gate height to gate length is greater than or equal to about 5.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein a depth of the maximum width of the epitaxial source/drain features in the fin is about 10 nm to about 30 nm.

20. The device of claim 17 , wherein:

each of the epitaxial source/drain features includes a first semiconductor layer disposed over a second semiconductor layer each having a constituent;

a first concentration of the constituent in the first semiconductor layer is greater than a second concentration of the constituent in the second semiconductor layer; and

the first semiconductor layer is disposed between sidewalls of a source/drain contact and the second semiconductor layer.