US Patent 7791107 Strained tri-channel layer for semiconductor-based electronic devices

A semiconductor-based structure includes a substrate layer, a compressively strained semiconductor layer adjacent to the substrate layer to provide a channel for a component, and a tensilely strained semiconductor layer disposed between the substrate layer and the compressively strained semiconductor layer. A method for making an electronic device includes providing, on a strain-inducing substrate, a first tensilely strained layer, forming a compressively strained layer on the first tensilely strained layer, and forming a second tensilely strained layer on the compressively strained layer. The first and second tensilely strained layers can be formed of silicon, and the compressively strained layer can be formed of silicon and germanium.