N-Channel (110)-Sidewall Strained FinFETs With Silicon–Carbon Source and Drain Stressors and Tensile Capping Layer

The performance of n-channel (110)-sidewall trigate fin-shaped field-effect transistors (FinFETs) is seriously compromised as (110) surfaces have significantly lower electron mobility than (100) surfaces. Straining the channel in (110)-sidewall FinFETs using lattice-mismatched silicon-carbon (Si
_1-y
C
_y
) stressors alone was experimentally determined to be far less effective than doing the same with (100)-sidewall FinFETs. By additionally incorporating a tensile silicon nitride contact etch-stop layer, the increase in longitudinal tensile stress and the introduction of vertical compressive stress result in significant further I
_Dsat
enhancement, highlighting the importance of the vertical compressive stress component for enhancing (110)-sidewall FinFET performance.