Patent ID: 9634090
Date: 2017-04-25
CPC Classifications: H01L

Claim:
1. A method for preventing damage to the insulator layer of a semiconductor device during fabrication of fin field effect transistor (FinFET) devices, the method comprising: obtaining a material stack comprising an active semiconductor layer, an insulator layer, and an etch stop layer existing between the active semiconductor layer and the insulator layer; forming a fin-array from the active semiconductor layer by applying fin-array formation processes to the material stack, with the etch stop layer resistant to those fin-array formation processes that the etch stop layer is exposed to, such that the etch stop layer and the insulator layer are not damaged during fin-array formation; patterning the fin-array by applying fin-array patterning processes after the fin-array has been formed from the active semiconductor layer, with the etch stop layer resistant to those fin-array patterning processes that the etch stop layer is exposed to, such that the etch stop layer and the insulator layer are not damaged during fin-array patterning; and fabricating a FinFET device by applying FinFET fabrication processes after the fin-array has been patterned by the fin-array patterning processes, with the etch stop layer resistant to those FinFET fabrication processes that the etch stop layer is exposed to, such that the etch stop layer and the insulator layer are not damaged during FinFET fabrication, wherein the material stack further comprises an interfacial layer between the active semiconductor layer and the etch stop layer, wherein the interfacial layer comprises a material similar to the insulator layer material.