Modeling of direct tunneling current through gate dielectric stacks

The direct tunneling current has been calculated for the first time from an inverted p-substrate through different gate dielectrics by numerically solving Schroedinger's equation and allowing for wavefunction penetration into the gate dielectric stack. The numerical solution adopts a first-order perturbation approach to calculate the lifetime of the quasi-bound states. This approach has been verified to be valid even for extremely thin dielectrics (0.5 nm). The tunneling currents predicted by this technique compare well with the WKB solution. Also for the first time investigation of the wavefunction penetration into gate stacks and their effects on quantization in the substrate has also been performed. For the same effective oxide thickness (EOT) the direct tunneling current decreases with increasing dielectric constant, as expected. However, in order to take full advantage of using high-K dielectrics as gate insulators the interfacial oxide needs to be eliminated     

Effects of neglecting carrier tunneling on electrostatic potentialin calculating direct tunneling gate current in deep submicron MOSFETs

We investigate the validity of the assumption of neglecting carrier tunneling effects on the self-consistent electrostatic potential in calculating the direct tunneling gate current in deep submicron MOSFETs. A comparison between simulated and experimental results shows that for accurate modeling of direct tunneling current, tunneling effects on potential profile need to be considered. The relative error in gate current due to neglecting carrier tunneling is higher at higher gate voltages and increases with decreasing oxide thickness. We also study the direct tunneling gate current in MOSFETs with high-K gate dielectrics     

Impact of interfacial layer and transition region on gate current performance for high-K gate dielectric stack: its tradeoff with gate capacitance

Stacked gate dielectrics are modeled with respect to the impact on the leakage current of interfacial layers and transition regions, considering the tradeoff with the gate capacitance. A Franz 2-band dispersion model is used. Low-EOT and low-gate-current regimes are explored theoretically using reasonable estimates guided by experimental data. Transition layer values of each parameter are qualitatively explored for oxynitride, Si/sub 3/N/sub 4//SiO/sub 2/, and high-K stacks. Higher dielectric constant and more insulating materials are obviously desired for each layer of dielectric; however, the transition region becomes more important as such dielectrics are considered. Higher dielectric constant of interfacial layer is desirable for the low-EOT-low-gate-current requirement.     

An analytical gate tunneling current model for MOSFETs

Gate tunneling current of MOSFETs is an important factor in modeling ultra small devices. In this paper, gate tunneling in present-generation MOSFETs is studied. In the proposed model, we calculate the electron wave function at the semiconductor-oxide interface and inversion charge by treating the inversion layer as a potential well, including some simplifying assumptions. Then we compute the gate tunneling current using the calculated wave function. The proposed model results have an excellent agreement with experimental results in the literature.     

A comparative study of gate direct tunneling and drain leakagecurrents in n-MOSFET's with sub-2 nm gate oxides

This work examines different components of leakage current in scaled n-MOSFET's with ultrathin gate oxides (1.4-2.0 nm). Both gate direct tunneling and drain leakage currents are studied by theoretical modeling and experiments, and their effects on the drain current are investigated and compared. It concludes that the source and drain extension to the gate overlap regions have strong effects on device performance in terms of gate tunneling and off-state drain currents     

Direct tunneling gate leakage current in transistors with ultrathinsilicon nitride gate dielectric

We present a study on the characterization and modeling of direct tunneling gate leakage current in both N- and P-type MOSFETs with ultrathin silicon nitride (Si₃N₄) gate dielectric formed by the jet-vapor deposition (JVD) technique. The tunneling mechanisms in the N- and PMOSFETs were clarified. The electron and hole tunneling masses and barrier potentials for the different tunneling mechanisms mere extracted from measured data using a new semi-empirical model. This model was used to project the scaling limits of the JVD Si ₃N₄ gate dielectric based on the supply voltages for the various technology nodes and the maximum tolerable direct tunneling gate current for high-performance and low-power applications     

Model to predict gate tunneling current of plasma oxynitrides

Two key parameters for silicon MOSFET scaling, equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) and gate leakage current density (J/sub g/) are measured and modeled for silicon oxynitride (Si-O-N) gate dielectrics formed by plasma nitridation of SiO/sub 2/. It is found that n-MOSFET inversion J/sub g/ is larger than p-MOSFET inversion J/sub g/ when the gate dielectric consists of less than 27% nitrogen atoms, indicating substrate injection of electrons is dominant for this range of plasma nitrided Si-O-N. To examine the intrinsic scaling of Si-O-N, we model EOT and n-MOSFET J/sub g/ for sub-2-nm physically thick gate dielectrics as a function of film physical thickness and nitrogen content. The model has four free fitting parameters and unlike existing models does not assume a priori the values of the oxide and nitride dielectric constant, barrier height, or effective mass. It indicates that at a given EOT, leakage current of n-MOSFETs with Si-O-N gate dielectrics reaches a minimum at a specific nitrogen content. Through the use of this model, we find that plasma nitrided Si-O-N can meet the 65-nm International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors specifications for J/sub g/, and we estimate the nitrogen concentration required for each node and application.     

A review of gate tunneling current in MOS devices

Gate current in metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) devices, caused by carriers tunneling through a classically forbidden energy barrier, is studied in this paper. The physical mechanisms of tunneling in an MOS structure are reviewed, along with the particularities of tunneling in modern MOS transistors, including effects such as direct tunneling, polysilicon depletion, hole tunneling and valence band tunneling and gate current partitioning. The modeling approach to gate current used in several compact MOS models is presented and compared. Also, some of the effects of this gate current in the performance of digital, analog and RF circuits is discussed, and it is shown how new effects and considerations will come into play when designing circuits that use MOSFETs with ultra-thin oxides.     

Edge hole direct tunneling leakage in ultrathin gate oxidep-channel MOSFETs

This paper examines the edge direct tunneling (EDT) of holes from p⁺ polysilicon to underlying p-type drain extensions in off-state p-channel MOSFETs having ultrathin gate oxides that are 1.2 nm-2.2 nm thick. It is for the first time found that for thinner oxides, hole EDT is more pronounced than both conventional gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) and gate-to-channel tunneling. As a result, the induced gate and drain leakage is more accurately measured per unit gate width. Terminal currents versus input voltage are measured from a CMOS inverter with gate oxide thickness T_OX=1.23 nm, exhibiting the impact of EDT in two standby modes. For the first time, a physical model is derived for the oxide field E_OX at the gate edge by accounting for the heavy and light holes' subbands in the quantized accumulation polysilicon surface. This model relates E_OX to the gate-to-drain voltage, oxide thickness, and doping concentration of the drain extension. Once E_OX is known, an existing direct tunneling (DT) model consistently reproduces EDT current-voltage (I-V), and the tunneling path size extracted falls adequately within the gate-to-drain overlap region. The ultimate oxide thickness limit due to hole EDT is projected     

Explicit model for the gate tunneling current in double-gate MOSFETs

In this paper, we present an explicit compact quantum model for the gate tunneling current in double-gate metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (DG-MOSFETs). Specifically, an explicit closed-form expression is proposed, useful for the fast evaluation of the gate leakage in the context of electrical circuit simulators. A benchmarking test against 1D self-consistent numerical solution of Schrödinger–Poisson (SP) equations has been performed to demonstrate the accuracy of the model.     

Impact of nonuniform graded dopant profile in polysilicon gate on gate leakage current

In a MOSFET, a nonuniform, graded vertical dopant profile in the polysilicon gate causes a potential drop at the polysilicon/oxide interface. In this paper, the effect of this potential drop on the gate leakage current has been evaluated for the first time. The extent of variations of this affected gate leakage current with gate oxide thickness, gate length, and gate and drain bias conditions have been assessed with device simulation for an nMOS at 0.13 /spl mu/m low-voltage process. The results provide a guideline to the severity of this effect from the point of view of device and circuit operation and standby power consumption.     

Impact of MOSFET gate oxide breakdown on digital circuit operationand reliability

The influence of FET gate oxide breakdown on the performance of a ring oscillator circuit is studied using statistical tools, emission microscopy, and circuit analysis. It is demonstrated that many hard breakdowns can occur in this circuit without affecting its overall function. Time-to-breakdown data measured on individual FETs are shown to scale correctly to circuit level. SPICE simulations of the ring oscillator with the affected FET represented by an equivalent circuit confirm the measured influence of the breakdown on the circuit's frequency, the stand-by and the operating currents. It is concluded that if maintaining a digital circuit's logical functionality is the sufficient reliability criterion, a nonzero probability exists that the circuit will remain functional beyond the first gate oxide breakdown. Consequently, relaxation of the present reliability criterion in certain cases might be possible     

Evidence of hole direct tunneling through ultrathin gate oxideusing P+ poly-SiGe gate

P⁺ poly-Si and poly-Si_0.75Ge_0.25-gated PMOS transistors with ultrathin gate oxides of 25 and 29 Å were used for this study. The difference in the gate work function was used to determine the mechanisms of gate tunneling current in such thin gate oxides, Under negative gate bias (inversion bias), it was found that the source/drain terminal serves as a source of holes for small V_g value, and as gate bias increases (more negative), it becomes a hole sink. These observations can be interpreted in terms of two competing mechanisms. For the first time, hole direct tunneling is reported, Hole direct tunneling is the dominant mechanism for -2 Vg<0 V. For Vg<-2 V, electron direct tunneling is dominant. Electron-hole pair generation by the tunneling electrons starts to dominate over hole direct tunneling only for V_g<-4 V     

A physical model for hole direct tunneling current in p+poly-gate pMOSFETs with ultrathin gate oxides

A model of the hole direct tunneling gate current accounting for heavy and light hole's subbands in the quantized inversion layer is built explicitly. This model comprises four key physical parameters: inversion layer charge density, hole impact frequency on SiO₂-Si interface, WKB transmission probability, and reflection correction factor. With the effective hole mass m_oxh =0.51 M_o for the parabolic dispersion relationship in the oxide, experimental reproduction without any parameter adjustment is consistently achieved in p⁺ poly-gate pMOSFETs with 1.23, 1.85, and 2.16 nm gate oxide thicknesses. The proposed model can thereby serve as a promising characterization means of direct tunnel oxides. In particular, it is calculated that the secondary subbands and beyond, although occupying few holes, indeed contribute substantially to the direct tunneling conduction due to effective lower barrier heights, and are prevailing over the first subbands for reducing the oxide field down below 1 MV/cm     

Modeling and estimation of edge direct tunneling current for nanoscale metal gate (Hf/AlNx) symmetric double gate MOSFET

This paper present, the modeling and estimation of edge direct tunneling current of metal gate (Hf/AlN_x) symmetric double gate MOSFET with an intrinsic silicon channel. To model this leakage current, we use the surface potential model obtained from 2D analytical potential model for double gate MOSFET. The surface potential model is used to evaluate the electric field across the insulator layer hence edge direct tunneling current. Further, we have modeled and estimated the edge direct tunneling leakage current for high-k dielectric. In this paper, from our analysis, it is found that dual metal gate (Hf/AlN_x) material offer the optimum leakage currents and improve the performance of the device. This feature of the device can be utilized in low power and high performance circuits and systems.     

Impact of gate-leakage currents on CMOS circuit performance

Ultra-thin gate dielectrics are exploited in fabrication of MOSFETs featuring channel lengths in the decananometer range: according to the ITRS oxide thickness in the order of 1 nm will be used in 2005 for ultra-short channel CMOS. For such aggressively scaled devices, gate-leakage currents represent a critical issue. In this paper, a study on the impact of direct-tunneling (DT) current on the performance of a wide variety of CMOS circuits is presented. The approach relies on a mixed-mode simulation approach, which allows for predicting the correlation of major performance indices with oxide thickness.     

OC门限流电路在串励电机控制中的研究

针对传统的以霍尔加磁环对电机电流进行检测再保护的电流限制的方法,提出了0C门硬件限流电路,该电路突破了传统的思路,不对电流进行采样,直接通过硬件电路对电机电流进行限州保护,即以设定的最大电流通过开关管所产生的压降作为0C门电路的参考值,以实际电流通过开关管所产生的压降作为比较值与参考值进行比较。当实际电流大于设定的最大电流时,0C门电路的输出关闭驱动开关管的控制电路,从而关断开关管,反之,当实际电流小于最大电流时,开关管正常工作,从而实现了对过电流进行快速的限制保护,确保了保护电路中的电流不会超过设定的最大电流。应用结果表明,该电路具有响应时间短,控制精度高,成本低等特点。所以其具有较高的应用推广价值。     

一种利用门电路实现可靠启动的基准电流源

为了解决电流和模式的基准电路的潜在启动失败问题以及使电路更加低功耗、低复杂度、高稳定性,提出了一种利用数字门电路实现可靠启动的CMOS带隙基准电流源。Spectre仿真表明,在1.8 V电源电压下,功耗为180μW,电路输出20μA参考电流,温度系数为11.9 ppm,线性度为1 054 ppm/V,输出噪声电压为0.1 mV,电源抑制比为-42 dB。采用TSMC0.18μm CMOS工艺流片。测试结果表明,电路能在15.4μs内实现可靠启动,输出参考电压稳定在1.28 V,其温度系数为89 ppm。该基准电流源已经成功地应用于工业自动化无线传感网(WIA)节点芯片的频率综合器中,并取得良好的应用效果。     

PTAT direct current converter for bias circuit applications

A novel proportional to absolute temperature (PTAT) current converter is presented. Output current gain ratios in excess of 50 are possible without the use of an operational amplifier. Simulation measurements show an output temperature coefficient within 15 ppm//spl deg/C of the reference current over the temperature range of -40 to +85/spl deg/C.     

Effects of induced electric fields on finite neuronal structures: asimulation study

An analysis is presented of magnetic stimulation of finite length neuronal structures using computer simulations. Models of finite neuronal structures in the presence of extrinsically applied electric fields indicate that excitation can be characterized by two driving functions: one due to field gradients and the other due to fields at the boundaries of neuronal structures. It is found that boundary field driving functions play an important role in governing excitation characteristics during magnetic stimulation. Simulations indicate that axons whose lengths are short compared to the spatial extent of the induced field are easier to excite than longer axons of the same diameter. Simulations also indicate that independent cellular dendritic processes are probably not excited during magnetic stimulation. Analysis of the temporal distribution of induced fields indicates that the temporal shape of the stimulus waveform modulates excitation thresholds and propagation of action potentials