Design Optimization and Performance Projections of Double-Gate FinFETs With Gate–Source/Drain Underlap for SRAM Application

Physical device/circuit simulations are used to explore 6T-SRAM cell design and scaling using double-gate (DG) FinFETs with optimized gate-source/drain (G-S/D) underlap. The underlap is designed for the control of threshold voltage (V_t) in the nanoscale FinFET with undoped ultrathin body (UTB). DG FinFETs with underlap are first characterized in terms of for various S/D-extension lengths (L_ext), lateral doping-density straggles (sigma_L), and fin-UTB thicknesses (w_Si). The relation between and read-static noise margin (SNM) is established to define an optimal SRAM cell, for the Semiconductor Industry Association's International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) HP45 node with L_g=18 nm, with large SNM as well as large write-0 margin and good immunity to process-induced variations of L_ext, sigma_L, w_Si, and L_g. Then, a scalability study of the DG FinFET-based SRAM cell is done, showing a continual significant benefit of the optimally designed doable underlaps to the end of the ITRS. In addition to the SRAM application, the novel idea of FinFET V_t control via underlap design is stressed, and its application to high-performance CMOS is discussed.     

先进的Hf基高k栅介质研究进展

随着CMOS器件特征尺寸的不断缩小,SiO2作为栅介质材料已不能满足集成电路技术高速发展的需求,利用高k栅介质取代SiO2栅介质成为微电子技术发展的必然.但是,被认为最有希望替代SiO2的HfO2由于结晶温度低等缺点,很难集成于现有的CMOS工艺中,新型Hf基高k栅介质的研究成为当务之急.据报道,在HfO2中引入N、Si、Al和Ta可大大改善其热力学稳定性,由此形成的高k栅介质具有优良的电学特性,基本上满足器件的要求.本文综述了这类先进的Hf基高k栅介质材料的最新研究进展.     

Subthreshold analysis of nanoscale FinFETs for ultra low power application using high-k materials

Fin Field Effect Transistors (FinFETs) are used for Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor applications beyond the 45?nm node of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) roadmap because of their excellent scalability and better immunity to short channel effects. This article examines the impact of high-k dielectrics on FinFETs. The FinFET device performance is analysed for On Current, Off Current, I _on/I _off ratio, drain induced barrier lowering, electrostatic potential along the channel, electric field along the channel, transconductance, output resistance, intrinsic gain, gate capacitance and transconductance generation factor, by replacing the conventional silicon dioxide gate dielectric material, with various high dielectric constant materials. Nanosize ZrO₂ (zirconium-di-oxide) is found out to be the best alternative for SiO₂ (silicon-di-oxide). It is also observed that the integration of high-k dielectrics in the devices significantly reduces the short channel effects and leakage current. The suitability of nanoscale FinFETs is observed with the help of an inverter circuit and their gain values are calculated for circuit applications.     

Impact of High-k Gate Dielectrics on the Device and Circuit Performance of Nanoscale FinFETs

The impact of high-k gate dielectrics on device short-channel and circuit performance of fin field-effect transistors is studied over a wide range of dielectric permittivities k. It is observed that there is a decrease in the parasitic outer fringe capacitance C_of in addition to an increase in the internal fringe capacitance C_if with high-k dielectrics, which degrades the short-channel effects significantly. It is shown that fin width scaling is the most suitable approach to recover the degradation in the device performance due to high-k integration. Furthermore, from the circuit perspective, for the 32-nm technology generation, the presence of an optimum k for a given target subthreshold leakage current has been identified by various possible approaches such as fin width scaling, fin-doping adjustment, and gate work function engineering     

The Potential of FinFETs for Analog and RF Circuit Applications

CMOS downscaling in the nanoscale era will necessitate drastic changes to the planar bulk CMOS transistor to keep pace with the required speed increase while at the same time maintaining acceptable performance in terms of leakage, variability and analog parameters such as gain, noise and linearity. For the gate electrode and the gate dielectric, which classically use polysilicon and with some amount of nitridation, new materials might be needed. Also, a new transistor architecture might be required that deviates from the planar structure. Thanks to their inherent suppression of short-channel effects, reduced drain-induced barrier lowering and good scalability, multi-gate devices such as fin-shaped field-effect transistors (FinFETs) are considered as possible candidates for device scaling at the end of International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. As such, they form a first step between a planar architecture and a silicon nanowire. In this paper, we demonstrate with functional prototypes of analog and RF circuits that the combination of a new gate stack with a FinFET transistor architecture outperforms comparable circuit realizations in planar bulk CMOS for low to moderate speed. Further, the FinFETs exhibit less leakage and show less intra-die variability than their planar bulk counterpart. In the microwave and millimeter-wave frequency region, planar bulk CMOS is still superior. The main challenge for FinFET performance in the coming years is the improvement of the maximum cutoff frequency, which is nowadays limited to 100 GHz.     

金属栅/高k基FinFET研究进展

对比传统的平面型晶体管,总结了三维立体结构FinFET器件的结构特性。结合MOS器件栅介质材料研究进展,分别从纯硅基、多晶硅/高k基以及金属栅/高k基三个阶段综述了Fin-FET器件的发展历程,分析了各阶段FinFET器件的材料特性及其在等比缩小时所面临的关键问题,并着重从延迟时间、可靠性和功耗三方面分析了金属栅/高k基FinFET应用于22 nm器件的性能优势。基于短沟道效应以及界面态对器件性能的影响,探讨了FinFET器件尺寸等比缩小可能产生的负面效应及其解决办法。分析了FinFET器件下一步可能的发展方向,主要为高迁移率沟道材料、立体型栅结构以及基于新原理的电子器件。     

Approaching Optimal Characteristics of 10-nm High-Performance Devices: A Quantum Transport Simulation Study of Si FinFET

We utilized a fully self-consistent quantum mechanical simulator based on the contact block reduction (CBR) method to optimize a 10 nm FinFET device and meet the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) projections for double-gate high-performance logic technology devices. We found that the device ON-current approaching the value projected by the ITRS can be obtained using a conventional unstrained Si channel and a SiO₂ gate insulator. We also performed a detailed analysis of the gate leakage under different bias conditions. Our simulation results show that the quantum mechanical effects significantly enhance the intrinsic switching speed of the device. In our simulations, quantum confinement in both the gates and the channel has been taken into account self-consistently. The obtained theoretical value of the intrinsic switching speed for the considered FinFET device exceeds the ITRS-projected value.     

Highly Manufacturable and Reliable HfSiON N-FET With Poly-Si/a-Si Stacked Gate for LSTP Applications

We have proposed a novel poly-Si/a-Si/HfSiON transistor to enhance reliabilities without performance degradation for a 65-nm-node low standby power (LSTP) application. By insertion of a thin amorphous-Si layer between the Poly-Si gate electrode and HfSiON, both phosphorus penetration from gate electrode and a reaction at gate electrode/HfSiON interface are successfully suppressed, so that positive bias temperature instability, one of the biggest issues for high-k gate dielectric, is drastically improved by two orders of magnitude. By carefully optimizing the gate stack structure of HfSiON, the HfSiON device can satisfy both lower gate leakage and gate-induced drain leakage at the same time. As a result, an excellent I_on- I_standby (= I_g + l_off) characteristic can be achieved, compared to the conventional SiON device. The a-Si insertion technique can realize the combination between the high-k gate dielectric and Poly-Si for future LSTP applications.     

Device to circuit reliability correlations for metal gate/high-k transistors in scaled CMOS technologies

Metal gate/high-k stacks are in CMOS manufacturing since the 45 nm technology node. To meet technology performance and yield targets, gate stack reliability is constantly being challenged. Assessing the associated reliability risk for CMOS products relies on a solid understanding of device to circuit reliability correlations. In this paper we summarize our findings on the correlation between device reliability and circuit degradation and highlight areas for future work to focus on.     

体硅衬底上的CMOS Fin FET

介绍了一种制作在普通体硅上的 CMOS Fin FET.除了拥有和原来 SOI上 Fin FET类似的 Fin FET结构 ,器件本身在硅衬底中还存在一个凹槽平面 MOSFET,同时该器件结构与传统的 CMOS工艺完全相容 ,并应用了自对准硅化物工艺 .实验中制作了多种应用该结构的 CMOS单管以及 CMOS反相器、环振电路 ,并包括常规的多晶硅和 W/Ti N金属两种栅电极 .分析了实际栅长为 110 nm的硅基 CMOS Fin FET的驱动电流和亚阈值特性 .反相器能正常工作并且在 Vd=3V下 2 0 1级 CMOS环振的最小延迟为 14 6 ps/门 .研究结果表明在未来 VL SI制作中应用该结构的可行性     

体硅衬底上的CMOS FinFET

介绍了一种制作在普通体硅上的CMOS FinFET.除了拥有和原来SOI上FinFET类似的FinFET结构,器件本身在硅衬底中还存在一个凹槽平面MOSFET,同时该器件结构与传统的CMOS工艺完全相容,并应用了自对准硅化物工艺.实验中制作了多种应用该结构的CMOS单管以及CMOS反相器、环振电路,并包括常规的多晶硅和W/TiN金属两种栅电极.分析了实际栅长为110nm的硅基CMOS FinFET的驱动电流和亚阈值特性.反相器能正常工作并且在Vd=3V下201级CMOS环振的最小延迟为146ps/门.研究结果表明在未来VLSI制作中应用该结构的可行性.     

Investigation of novel attributes of single halo dual-material double gate MOSFETs for analog/RF applications

Due to their excellent scalability and better immunity to short channel effects, double-gate (DG) MOSFETs are being earnestly assessed for CMOS applications beyond the 70 nm node of the SIA roadmap. However for channel lengths below 100 nm, DG MOSFETs still show considerable threshold voltage roll off and to overcome this effect, different gate or channel engineering techniques can be widely used. In this paper, the analog and RF performance of a single halo double gate MOSFET implemented with dual-material gate (DMG) technology is investigated with 2D device simulator. This novel structure shows better immunity to short-channel effects like DIBL and improved analog and RF performance. Moreover they exhibit better suppression of hot carrier effect and higher carrier transport efficiency than a single halo double gate MOSFET. The suitability of nanoscale single halo double gate MOSFETs with dual-material gate for circuit applications is examined by comparing the performance of a two stage cascode amplifier and a greater improvement is observed for single halo dual-material DG MOSFET compared to that of the single halo counterpart.     

先栅工艺中高K/双金属栅集成研究新进展

随着高K、金属栅材料引入到CMOS工艺,高K/双金属栅的集成已成为研究热点.利用多晶硅回刻和摻杂结合两步全硅化工艺的方案,可实现低功耗和高性能电路的高K与双FUSI金属栅的集成.采用淀积-刻蚀-再淀积、双高K双金属栅的集成方案,也可实现高K与双金属栅的集成.为缓解费米能级钉扎效应,通过盖帽层或离子注入技术对高K或金属栅掺杂,可得到具有带边功函数的高K/双金属栅集成.多晶硅/金属栅复合结构为高K与双金属栅的集成提供了更灵活的选择.     

Threshold-Voltage Reduction of FinFETs by Ta/Mo Interdiffusion Dual Metal-Gate Technology for Low-Operating-Power Application

In this paper, Ta/Mo interdiffusion dual metal-gate technology, which has an advantage in realizing dual gate work functions without etching of metals from the gate dielectrics, has been introduced for a FinFET. Gate-first fabrication of the FinFET was successfully implemented by optimizing the deposition and patterning of the Mo and Ta/Mo metal gates on the ultrathin fin channels. The Ta/Mo-gated n-MOS and Mo-gated p-MOS FinFET exhibit symmetrical values of Vth (0.31/$-$0.36 V), which are desirable for FinFET CMOS circuit operation with enhanced current drivability, because the threshold voltage (Vth) is reduced due to Ta diffusion in the Ta/Mo gate. It was experimentally found that the Ta/Mo interdiffusion process causes no degradation in integrity of the gate dielectric or the carrier mobility. It was also confirmed that the Ta/Mo interdiffusion process is appropriate for a scaled gate length down to 100 nm.      

Robustness comparison of DG FinFETs with symmetric, asymmetric, tied and independent gate options with circuit co-design for ultra low power subthreshold logic

Double gate FinFETs are shown to be better candidates for subthreshold logic design than equivalent bulk devices. However it is not so clear which configuration of DG FinFETs will be more optimal for subthreshold logic. In this paper, we compare the different device and circuit level performance metrics of DG FinFETs with symmetric, asymmetric, tied and independent gate options for subthreshold logic. We observe that energy delay product (EDP) shows a better subthreshold performance metric than power delay product (PDP) and it is observed that the tied gate symmetric option has ≈78% lower EDP value than that of independent gate option for subthreshold logic. The asymmetry in back gate oxide thickness adds to further reduction in EDP for tied gate and has no significant effect on independent gate option. The robustness (measured in terms of % variation in device/circuit performance metrics for a ±10% variation in design parameters) of DG FinFETs with various options has also been investigated in presence of different design parameter variations such as silicon body thickness, channel length, threshold voltage, supply voltage and temperature, etc. Independent gate option has been seen to be more robust (≈40% less) than that of tied gate option for subthreshold logic. Comparison of logic families for subthreshold regime with DG FinFET options shows that for tied gate option, sub-CMOS, sub-Domino and sub-DCVSL have almost similar and better energy consumption and robustness characteristics with respect to PVT variations than other families.     

Moore's law lives on [CMOS transistors]

We discuss several device structures suitable for scaling CMOS devices well into the nano-CMOS era, perhaps down below 10 nm physical gate length. The ultra-thin body MOSFET device structure has many features in common with today's bulk MOSFET, which makes it easier for industry to introduce into manufacturing. On the other hand, the double-gate structure as represented by the FinFET appears to offer greater scalability down to 10 nm gate length or perhaps even below. While a number of significant challenges remain to be overcome, including device parasitics, interfaces, and threshold voltage control techniques, it appears that the continued evolution of CMOS integrated circuit technology into this regime will not be impeded by basic limitations of the underlying transistor technology. The implication of this is that "Moore's law" may continue for yet another 15-20 years before the ultimate device limits for CMOS are reached.     

Ultra low power DG FinFET based voltage controlled oscillator circuits

Voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) significantly influences power and performance in many analog and digital applications. In this era of portable electronics, power consumption has emerged as an important design metric. Intended subthreshold circuits have proven their ability to satisfy this demand of ultra low-power consumption of a multitude of applications such as RFID, microsensors, etc. Double-gate Fin-FET technology is a promising alternative to the CMOS technology for the subthreshold circuits because of its enhanced gate control, improved performance, scalability, and robustness. Therefore, this paper investigates the viability of DG FinFET Current Starved Voltage Controlled Oscillator (CSVCO) in the subthreshold regime. The results indicate the superior performance of DG FinFET-based CSVCO in regard to speed, PDP, EDP, and variability as compared to CMOS-based CSVCO. Seven different CSVCO configurations, viz.. SG, IG, hybrid, hybrid reverse, pignsg, psgnig and MIGFET, designed using different configurations of DG FinFET, are simulated using 32 nm FinFET Predictive Technology Model (PTM) in HSPICE at 150 mv power supply. The proposed pignsg CSVCO shows better results in terms of frequency obtained versus power expended giving least PDP of 1.25E-16J and better immunity to supply voltage and process variations compared to all other CSVCO configurations.     

Fully-depleted SOI devices with TaSiN gate, HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectric, and elevated source/drain extensions

We report for the first time the performance of ultrathin film fully-depleted (FD) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) CMOS transistors using HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectric and TaSiN gate material. The transistors feature 100-150 /spl Aring/ silicon film thickness and selective epitaxial silicon growth in the source/drain extension regions. TaSiN-gate shows good threshold voltage control using an undoped channel, which reduces threshold voltage variation with silicon film thickness and discrete, random dopant placement. Device processing for CMOS fabrication is drastically simplified by the use of the same gate material for both n- and p-MOSFETs. Electrical characterization results illustrate the combined impact of using high-k dielectric and metal gate on the performance of ultrathin film FD SOI devices.     

Fully depleted CMOS/SOI device design guidelines for low-powerapplications

We report the fully depleted (FD) CMOS/SOI device design guidelines for low-power applications. Optimal technology, device and circuit parameters are derived and compared with bulk CMOS based design. The differences and similarities are summarized. Device design guidelines using devices with L=0.1 μm for FDSOI low-power applications are presented using an empirical drain saturation current model fitted to experimental data. The model is verified in the deep-submicron regime by two-dimensional (2-D) simulation. For L=0.1 μm FDSOI low-power technology, optimum speed and lower-power occurs at V_dd=3V_th and V_dd=1.5 V_th, respectively. Optimum buried oxide thickness is found to be between 300 and 400 nm for low-power applications. Optimum transistor sizing is when the driver device capacitance is 0.3 times the total load capacitance. Similarly optimum gate oxide thickness is when the driver device gate capacitance is 0.2-0.6 times the total load capacitance for performance and 0.1-0.2 for low-power, respectively. Finally optimum stage ratio for driving large loads is around 2-4 for both high-performance and low-power     

Gate capacitances behavior of nanometer FD SOI CMOS devices with HfO/sub 2/ high-k gate dielectric considering vertical and fringing displacement effects using 2-D Simulation

This paper reports the gate-source (drain)/source (drain)-gate capacitance behavior of 100-nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator CMOS devices with HfO/sub 2/ high-k gate dielectric considering vertical and fringing displacement effects. Based on the two-dimensional simulation results, a unique two-step C/sub S(D)G//C/sub GS/ versus V/sub G/ curve could be identified for the device with the 1.5-nm HfO/sub 2/ gate dielectric due to the vertical and fringing displacement effects.