A semiconductor process and apparatus includes forming channel orientation CMOS transistors (24, 34) with enhanced hole mobility in the NMOS channel region and reduced channel defectivity in the PMOS region by depositing a first tensile etch stop layer (51) over the PMOS and NMOS gate structures, etching the tensile etch stop layer (51) to form tensile sidewall spacers (62) on the exposed gate sidewalls, and then depositing a second hydrogen rich compressive or neutral etch stop layer (72) over the NMOS and PMOS gate structures (26, 36) and the tensile sidewall spacers (62). In other embodiments, a first hydrogen-rich etch stop layer (81) is deposited and etched to form sidewall spacers (92) on the exposed gate sidewalls, and then a second tensile etch stop layer (94) is deposited over the NMOS and PMOS gate structures (26, 36) and the sidewall spacers (92).