Fabrication method of semiconductor device using selective epitaxial growth

Abstract

A fabrication method of a semiconductor device with an IGFET is provided, which makes it possible to decrease the current leakage due to electrical short-circuit between a gate electrode and source/drain regions of the IGFET through conductive grains deposited on its dielectric sidewalls. After the basic structure of the IGFET is formed, first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers are respectively formed on the first and second source/drain regions by a selective epitaxial growth process. Then, the surface areas of the first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers are oxidized, and the oxidized surface areas of the first and second single-crystal Si epitaxial layers are removed by etching. If unwanted grains of poly-Si or amorphous Si are grown on the first and second dielectric sidewalls in the selective epitaxial growth process, the unwanted grains are oxidized and removed, thereby preventing electrical short-circuit from occurring between the gate electrode and the first and second source/drain regions through the unwanted grains deposited on the first and second dielectric sidewalls.