Patent ID: 7939399

Claim:
A method, comprising: providing a semiconductor device comprising a transistor with a channel region, said channel region comprising a first semiconductor material; forming a second semiconductor material in a portion of said first semiconductor material, wherein said second semiconductor material induces a strain in said first semiconductor material and wherein said second semiconductor material is an alloy comprising a first alloy component and a second alloy component, wherein said first and second alloy components are non-dopant components and wherein forming said second semiconductor material comprises: forming a first region of said second semiconductor material; masking a first portion of said first region; implanting said second alloy into an unmasked second portion of said first region to define a second region of said second semiconductor material, wherein said second region is disposed closer to said channel region than said first region, said second region has a higher concentration of said second alloy component than said first region of said second semiconductor material, said first region includes a first surface portion, and said second region includes a second surface portion; covering a portion of said second semiconductor material with a cover, wherein said cover directly contacts at least said second surface portion and a portion of said first surface portion adjacent said second surface portion; and further processing an uncovered surface portion of said second semiconductor material.