Search

This paper provides an industry perspective on the present state of compact models for MOS transistors. It highlights the complexity of layout-dependent effects in modern transistors, reviews some common misunderstandings of MOS transistor capacitances, and introduces a new, structurally symmetric, “gate-as-input” equivalent network for these capacitances. Areas of focus for the future model developments are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports an industry standard monolithic 555-timer circuit designed and fabricated in the in-house silicon carbide (SiC) low-voltage bipolar technology. This paper demonstrates the 555-timer integrated circuits (ICs) characterization in both astable and monostable modes of operation, with a supply voltage of 15 V over the wide temperature range of 25 °C–500 °C. Nonmonotonic temperature dependence was observed for the 555-timer IC frequency, rise time, fall-time, and power dissipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper clarifies the correct transmission mechanism, misattributed in the previous research, of a hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistor (a-Si:H TFT) device. Complete drain current–gate voltage (${I}_{\text {D}}$ – ${V}_{\text {G}}$) transfer characteristics including the forward and backward gate sweeps (gate voltage carried out in the OFF-state $\to $ on-state and the ON-state $\to $ OFF-state) are performed, and the physics models of an energy-band schematic are clearly explained. This paper reveals that the ${I}_{\text {D}}$ – ${V}_{\text {G}}$ curve stretch-out behavior of the subthreshold region is due to the leakage of the Poole–Frenkel region. At the Poole–Frenkel regions, electrons transfer to the drain terminal, and holes remain in the valance band of the a-Si:H bulk. The remaining holes represent the positive voltage and cause the electron barrier height lowering. This causes an increase in subthreshold current of the subthreshold region. Finally, three experiments are performed to prove the correctness of these models, and the a-Si TFTs device improvement methods will be proposed to enhance the stability and performance of product of the a-Si TFTs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to better predict the high-frequency switching operation of transistors in power converters, parasitic elements of these devices such as resistances, inductances, and capacitances must be accurately evaluated. This paper reports on the characterization of a gallium nitride (GaN) packaged power transistor using S-parameters in order to extract the device parasitics. Because the transistor is packaged, a calibration technique is carried out using specific test fixtures designed on FR4 printed circuit board (PCB) in order to get the S-parameters in the transistor plane from the measurement. The proposed method is suitable for a wide range of power devices. In this paper, it is applied to an enhancement-mode GaN high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The impact of junction temperature on drain and source resistances is also evaluated. According to characterization results, equation-based modeling is proposed for the nonlinear parameters. The extracted parasitic elements are compared with reference values given by the device manufacturer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a novel reconfigurable ferroelectric FET (R-FEFET), which can reconfigure its operation between volatile and nonvolatile modes during run-time by dynamically modulating its hysteresis. The R-FEFET comprises of two gates with ferroelectric (FE) in both the gate stacks. One of these terminals serves as a regular gate, while the other is used as a control to introduce reconfigurability. Employing Landau–Khalatnikov equation-based FEFET model, we extensively analyze the device characteristics in both FinFET and planar technologies. We show that by changing the control voltage between 0 and 1 V, the hysteresis width (HW) can be modulated between 1.1 and 0.3 V. In addition, we show the device characteristics and advantages that R-FEFETs possess to overcome the drawbacks encountered with gate leakage in standard FEFETs. The hold margins in the nonvolatile mode of R-FEFETs increase by ~ $10\times $ with respect to standard FEFETs, and the drive current strengths in the volatile mode show 13% improvements when compared to standard FETs. Using the proposed R-FEFETs, we examine a low-power nonvolatile memory design in Part II of this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inverter delay is often evaluated as $\textit {CV}_{\text {dd}}/{I}_{\text {eff}}$ , where ${C}$ is the load capacitance, ${V}_{\text {dd}}$ is the supply voltage, and ${I}_{\text {eff}}$ is the effective drive current derived by approximating the inverter switching trajectory with a linear model. The ${I}_{\text {eff}}$ model utilizes high and low drain currents conventionally measured in wafer acceptance tests and does not require extraction of any parameters. Ease of use combined with reasonable accuracy (~15%) is the main reason for wide application of $\textit {CV}_{\text {dd}}/{I}_{\text {eff}}$ delay metrics. However, $\textit {CV}_{\text {dd}}/{I}_{\text {eff}}$ expression produces large errors when applied to another two important basic circuits: NAND and NOR. This is because NAND and NOR circuits contain transistor series connections not accounted for in the inverter model. In this paper, an analytical solution for the transistor series connection influence on the discharge/charge operation in NAND/NOR circuits is provided. The model for NAND/NOR effective drive current (denoted as ${I}_{\text {stack}}$) developed in this paper maintains simplicity of the original ${I}_{\text {eff}}$ expression. It requires only one additional measurement of the linear current. Model accuracy was assessed by comparing to extensive SPICE delay simulations of NAND and NOR circuits designed using state-of-the-art MOS technologies. Comparison results show that $\textit {CV}_{\text {dd}}/{I}_{\text {stack}}$ equation provides ~15% accuracy for NAND/NOR circuits in line with $\textit {CV}_{\text {dd}}/{I}_{\text {eff}}$ accuracy for inverter. In an era of emphasis on low-power design, the developed model presents convenient means of exploring design space when optimizing circuit supply voltage for low-power operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, for the first time, we demonstrate the improvement in power capability and safe operating area of silicon-on-insulator laterally double-diffused MOS (SOI-LDMOS) transistors for power amplifier applications by the introduction of a partial n+ buried layer (PNBL). The power capability of a transistor can be evaluated by ${P}_{\text {max}}/A$ , which is the maximum power per unit area that can be delivered by the transistor and is an important parameter for power amplifiers. ${P}_{\text {max}}$ is dependent on the snapback voltage (${V}_{\text {sb,QS}}$), OFF-state breakdown voltage (${V}_{\text {bd}, \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$), and maximum current (${I}_{\text {max}}$) in the quasi-saturation regime of an LDMOS transistor. Increase of ${P}_{\text {max}}/A$ by the introduction of a PNBL in the SOI-LDMOS transistors is reported in this paper. The effects of variation of the length, thickness, and doping concentration of the PNBL on ${V}_{\text {sb,QS}}$ and ${P}_{\text {max}}/A$ are analyzed in detail. It is shown that by optimizing the doping and length of the PNBL layer, the maximum power output from the transistor can be made significantly higher than that of a conventional device without PNBL. A procedure to design the optimized structure is also presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the performance of mosaic nonimaging passive infrared (PIR) sensors fabricated by the CMOS–SOI–MEMS technology. The elementary sensor, forming a subpixel, is a thermally isolated nanomachined CMOS transistor, dubbed TMOS, operating at subthreshold. The mosaic uncooled PIR sensors are composed of several TMOS subpixels, which are electrically connected, either in parallel or in series as well as a combination of both options. These mosaic sensors, which are manufactured by nanofabrication methods, exhibit enhanced performance and robust manufacturing on wafer level. The overall figures of merit of these sensors, which are modeled in this paper, indicate why they are most suitable for consumer electronics, including smart homes, wearables, Internet of Things as well as mobile applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on the assessment of self-amplified silicon–oxide–nitride–oxide–silicon (SONOS) memory device architecture for sub-50-nm gate length (${L}_{g}$) through calibrated simulations. Self-amplification (SA) effect in tunnel field-effect transistor-based SONOS (T-SONOS) memory device has been analyzed. Results show that memory window ($\Delta {W}$) in T-SONOS cell increases as buried oxide thickness increases due to capacitive coupling between the front and back gates. Although the enhanced $\Delta {W}$ can also be achieved in inversion-mode SONOS (I-SONOS) device, its performance is deteriorated when the gate length is scaled down. We have compared the performance of I-SONOS and T-SONOS memory devices for ${L}_{g}$ varying from 100 to 25 nm. Results highlight that I-SONOS device cannot be programmed at ${L}_{g} ={25}$ nm and thus deteriorate the memory operation. However, SA T-SONOS at ${L}_{g} = {25}$ nm achieves ${W} \sim {6}$ V. In addition, the effect of underlap on the performance of T-SONOS cell has been analyzed, and it is shown that memory operation of 25-nm T-SONOS device can further improved with a drain side underlap of 20 nm. This paper provides new opportunities to design SA T-SONOS memory device for the next-generation nonvolatile memories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of capacitive deep trench isolation (CDTI) as a shared vertical transfer gate (VTG) in a back-side-illuminated CMOS image sensor pixel is investigated using 3-D device-level simulations. The parasitic capacitance existence between CDTI and deeply buried pinned photodiode (BPD), and also between CDTI and floating diffusion (FD) region, makes the charge transfer process more difficult. In order to design a lag-free pixel and obtain complete charge transfer from BPD to FD, various considerations regarding the device-level design should be taken into account which is discussed in this paper. A CDTI neighboring two pixels can be functionalized as a shared VTG. Using CDTI as shared VTG facilitates pixel miniaturization and can result in more circuit integration at the pixel surface. This paper proposes a ${2}\,\,\mu \text{m} \times {2}\,\,\mu \text{m}$ pixel with CDTI as shared VTG, an equilibrium full-well capacity of 4605 e−, and a complete charge transfer from BPD to FD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates a high-performance black phosphorus nanoribbons field-effect transistor (BPNR-FET) and systematically investigates methods for enhancing its anisotropic carrier transport. The BPNR-FET shows a strong dependence on crystal orientation in which the best mobility performance is achieved in armchair-oriented nanoribbons. A downscaling of nanoribbon width is shown to improve the short-channel effect owing to a better electrostatic gate control. Furthermore, hydrogenation is employed to effectively passivate the dangling bonds and heal the nanoribbon edge defects, leading to nearly hysteresis-free transfer properties. By virtue of bandgap and contact-metal workfunction engineering, n-type BPNR-FET is successfully demonstrated, which enables complementary inverter circuits to be simultaneously realized. This paper unravels the superior performance underscores a conceptually new BPNR-FET, paving the way toward the development of non-planar devices and integrated circuits based on 2-D materials platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many methods have been proposed for the experimental determination of the collector resistance in bipolar junction transistors and HBTs. In this paper, the most widely used methods are reviewed and applied to SiGe HBTs with a large variety of device sizes fabricated in different technologies and generations, including high-speed and high-voltage transistors. First, the accuracy of those methods, which are based on an extraction from single-transistor characteristics, is evaluated from simulated data using a sophisticated compact model and, where applicable, also device simulation. This approach allows the origin of observed inaccuracies or failures of certain methods to be identified. Second, the test structure-based methods are reviewed, and third, all methods were applied to experimental data. This paper and its results provide insight into each method’s accuracy; its application limits with respect to a technology, a device size, and an operating range as well as its requirements in terms of equipment and extraction effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the degradation of GaN-based HEMTs with p-type gate submitted to positive gate bias stress. Based on combined electrical and optical testing, we demonstrate the existence of different degradation processes, depending on the applied stress voltage ${V}_{\textsf {Gstress}}$ : 1) for ${V}_{\textsf {Gstress}}< \textsf {7}$ V, no significant degradation is observed, thus demonstrating a good stability of the analyzed technology; 2) for 7 V $< {V}_{\textsf {Gstress}} <\textsf {11.5}$ V, a negative shift in threshold voltage (${V}_{\textsf {th}}$) is observed, well correlated with a decrease in the gate leakage current and of the luminescence signal associated with hole injection. The negative ${V}_{\textsf {th}}$ shift is ascribed to the trapping of holes in the AlGaN and/or p-GaN/AlGaN interface; and 3) for ${V}_{\textsf {Gstress}} \ge \textsf {12}$ V, threshold voltage recovers its initial value. This is ascribed to a net-negative charge, generated either by the trapping of electrons injected from the 2-D electron gas to the AlGaN or to the de-trapping of the holes injected in 2). The results described within this paper provide relevant information for understanding the degradation dynamics of normally off GaN transistors submitted to extremely high gate voltage levels far beyond maximum use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With technology node scaling down to 5 nm, the narrow device geometry confines the material thermal conductivity and further aggravates the self-heating effect in gate-all-around (GAA) transistors. In this paper, we investigate the self-heating of horizontally stacked three-layer GAA nanosheet transistors by 3-D finite-element modeling (FEM) simulation. The anisotropic thermal conductivity of nanosheets with the dependence of silicon thickness and temperature is implemented in the FEM simulator to evaluate thermal behavior accurately. The impact of layout design on thermal properties is investigated comprehensively from single device to device arrays with implication on electrical performance. The results indicate that the width of nanosheet is the key parameter to make the tradeoffs between self-heating and electrical characteristic. Meanwhile, the optimizations of layout design are given to suppress the thermal effects, including self-heating, nonuniformity of temperature, and thermal crosstalk at device level. This paper will provide guidelines for layout design, thermal management, device performance, and thermal-aware reliability prediction in the GAA-stacked structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

String read current ( ${I}_{\textsf {read}}$ ) reduction with rising mold height and grain boundary traps is one of the major hurdle in the development of 3-D NAND flash memory. In this paper, we have investigated ${I}_{\textsf {read}}$ with variation in polysilicon channel grain size (GS), grain boundary trap density, and channel thickness ( ${T}_{\textsf {Si}}$ ), using TCAD. We find that under a critical value of GS, ${I}_{\textsf {read}}$ decreases with increase in ${T}_{\textsf {Si}}$. This is attributed to the fact that with smaller GS, the total number of grain boundaries and associated traps are significantly higher. Moreover, there exists a typical value of GS for which ${I}_{\textsf {read}}$ is independent of ${T}_{\textsf {Si}}$ , which is desirable to minimize the deviations in ${I}_{\textsf {read}}$ arising from ${T}_{\textsf {Si}}$ variations. The resulting tradeoff in the design of more efficient 3-D NAND flash is demonstrated and discussed. Further, it is found that ${I}_{\textsf {read}}$ increases significantly by limiting the polysilicon channel grain boundary trap concentration under 1012 cm−2. The results presented in this paper are crucial for optimizing ${I}_{\textsf {read}}$ and program/erase threshold voltage ( ${V}_{T}$ ) window, and serve as key guidelines in the design of 3-D NAND flash memory with better performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper demonstrates the use of doublegate accumulation mode (AM) and junctionless (JL) transistors for dynamic memory applications at 85 °C. The doping dependent assessments of AM and JL devices include an analysis of storage volume, carrier lifetime, and depth of potential well to determine characteristics of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). This paper shows significant impact of carrier lifetime for channel doping (Nd) ≤ 1018 cm-3 on Retention Time (RT), while the depth of potential well is more critical at higher doping (>1018 cm-3). RT of ~2.5 s at 85 °C and ~4.5 s at 27 °C is achieved for gate length (Lg) of 400 nm with Nd = 1017 cm-3 which reduces to ~90ms at 85 °C for Lg = 25 nm. This paper discusses the storage volume (Lg x film thickness for a fixed volume with width of 1 µm) optimization to attain maximum retention. Insights and guidelines, as a function of doping and device dimensions, are outlined for dynamic memory applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) have drawn great interests in flexible displays, a key obstacle is the requirement of high-temperature annealing to realized mobility >10 cm²/V · s. In this paper, a fully room-temperature strategy, involving the deposition of ~10 nm In-Ga-Zn-O (IGZO) channel layer and ~4 nmAl2O3 passivation layer, is introduced. The as-prepared flexible TFT on polymide substrate exhibits a saturation mobility of 15.3 cm²/V · s, Vth of 3.08 V, and on/off current ratio of 2.3 x 107. Thickness-dependent analysis indicates that the interface between Al2O3 and IGZO is composed of negative O-rich layer, which impel the energy band bending inside the IGZO layers and release of electrons from traps. This paper opens up a route to achieve fully room-temperature fabrication of high-performance flexible TFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transconductance efficiency ( gm/{I}D ) is an essential design synthesis tool for low-power analog and RF applications. In this paper, the invariance of gm/{I}D versus normalized drain current curve is analyzed in an asymmetric double-gate (DG) fully depleted MOSFET. This paper studies the breakdown of this invariance versus back-gate voltage, transistor length, temperature, drain-to-source voltage, and process variations. The unforeseeable invariance is emphasized by measurements of a commercial 28-nm ultrathin body and box fully depleted Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) (FDSOI) CMOS technology, thus supporting the gm/{I}D -based design methodologies usage in DG FDSOI transistors sizing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a physics-based compact model for calculating the semiconductor charges and gate capacitance of III-V nanowire (NW) MOS transistors is presented. The model calculates the subband energies and the semiconductor charges by considering the wave function penetration into the gate insulator, effective mass discontinuity at the semiconductor-oxide interface, 2-D confinement in the NW, and Fermi-Dirac statistics. The semiconductor charge expression proposed in this paper is completely explicit in terms of applied gate voltage, therefore, making it highly suitable for large circuit simulations. The model is also compared with the results from self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson solver for different NW sizes and materials and found to be accurate over a wide range of gate voltages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this paper is to introduce an ultracompact device for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection based on a bipolar metal oxide silicon (BIMOS) transistor merged with a dual back-to-back silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) for bulk and for ultrathin body box fully depleted (FD)-silicon on insulator (SOI) advanced CMOS technologies in the hybrid bulk thanks to process co-integration. It is well known that ESD protection is a challenge for IC in advanced CMOS technology. In this paper, an optimized solution is described through the concept, design, 3-D technology computer aided design (TCAD) simulation, and silicon characterization in 28-nm FD-SOI in hybrid bulk. Measurements are done thanks to transmission line pulsed (TLP), very fast TLP and dc behavior. Moreover, the overvoltage is investigated through very fast transient characterization system measurements. It demonstrates a promising candidate to protect against ESD event and to develop new ESD network dedicated to system on chip. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Part I of this paper discussed the design of a four-terminal skewed straintronic magnetotunneling junction (ss-MTJ) switch, and its adaptation to a non-Boolean “one transistor, one trench capacitor, and one ss-MTJ” ternary content-addressable memory (TCAM) cell. This part of the paper discusses a TCAM array based on ss-MTJ-TCAM cells and the associated peripherals for search operation. We show that non-Boolean associative processing of the ss-MTJ-TCAM cells enhances energy-efficiency and performance of an ss-MTJ-based TCAM array. The energy-delay-product (EDP) of ss-MTJ-based TCAM is compared against CMOS-based TCAM for a $144\times256$ array. The minimum EDP in ss-MTJ-based TCAM is $\sim 10.8\times $ lower than the minimum EDP in CMOS-based TCAM. Additionally, the operational frequency at which the ss-MTJ-based design shows the minimum EDP is $\sim 9.4\times $ higher than the respective frequency in the CMOS-based design. We also compare ss-MTJ-based TCAM against other state-of-the-art MTJ-based TCAMs. The comparison shows that the ss-MTJ-based TCAM also outperforms MTJ-based TCAMs in cell density, search delay, and search energy. Finally, we discuss implications of process variability in ss-MTJ to TCAM implementation and identify critical design parameters in ss-MTJ-based TCAM to enhance its robustness and area/ energy-efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gate dielectric damage caused by both internal and external stresses is becoming worse because of aggressive complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) scaling. However, conventional technologies for damage reduction using thermal annealing during fabrication have some limitations. As a result, there is a growing demand for technologies that will cure CMOS damage as a new paradigm for improving long-term reliability. This review paper reexamines self-recovery technologies, which are fully compatible with CMOS fabrication. Although self-heating has long been considered an unwanted operating side effect, it can also be favorably utilized to cure damage. Generated Joule heat arising from device operation can uniformly anneal the gate dielectric and effectively recover damage in various devices, such as conventional logic, memory, and aerospace CMOS devices, as well as thin-film transistors for displays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a modeling approach to simulate the impact of total ionizing dose (TID) degradation on low-power analog and mixed-signal circuits. The modeling approach has been performed on 180-nm n-type metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (n-MOSFETs). The effects of the finger number, channel geometry, and biasing voltages have been tested during irradiation experiments. All Berkeley short-channel insulated gate field-effect transistor model (BSIM) parameters relevant to the transistor properties affected by TID have been modified in an algorithmic flow to correctly estimate the sub-threshold leakage current for a given dose level. The maximum error of the model developed is below 8%. A case study considering a five-stage ring oscillator is simulated with the generated model to show that the power consumption of the circuit increases and the oscillation frequency decreases around by 14%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents functional high-temperature analog circuits in silicon carbide bipolar technology. The circuits will collectively form the analog signal conditioning block for a wireless telemetry system in an extreme environment (above 400°C). The signal conditioning block is composed of a low dc gain operational amplifier, a negative voltage charge pump (CP), an RC oscillator, and a voltage regulator. The circuits are tested up to 450°C. The measured open-loop gain for the amplifier at 450°C is 30 dB. The regulator provides approximately 9-V output at 450°C for a fixed load current of up to 18 mA and an applied reference of 4.5 V. The negative voltage CP requires an oscillating signal at its input, which is provided by the RC cross-coupled oscillator. The CP provides about −5 V at 450°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a physics-based bias-dependent model of single-event transients (SETs) in double-gate (DG) MOSFET suitable for circuit simulation is presented. The existing approaches that use double exponential and dual double-exponential current sources to emulate these transient currents in the circuit simulators depend on the parameters extracted from TCAD device simulations. In order to capture the essential physics behind these current transients in the circuit simulations, there is a need for a physics-based bias-dependent SET current model that considers the electrostatics in the chosen device. The proposed SET current model is developed from the solution of 2-D Poisson’s equation with proper boundary conditions of DG MOSFET. It takes into account the dependence of the transient potential and drain current on linear energy transfer (LET), strike positions, drain and gate biases, device dimensions, and channel doping. The results from the model are validated with the simulation results from TCAD. The SET current model is integrated in Cadence circuit simulator and observed through simulations the voltage perturbation at the output of the CMOS inverter due to heavy ion strike on nMOS transistor in OFF state for different LETs and loads. The proposed model captures the current plateau region effect in CMOS inverter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the design of an ac switch structure for specific ac mains applications 230 V–50 Hz. The targeted power level is about a hundred watts, and the currently used converter circuits make use of bidirectional switches that are realized using anti-series connected MOS transistors. Despite the improvements in performance provided by some of these structures, their fabrication cost is still high and limits their widespread diffusion in a market shared with the triac. To replace the triac, an original current and voltage bidirectional bipolar device called a Bipolar ac (Bipac) is proposed, designed, realized, and characterized. It can be controlled both to turn-on and turn-off with respect to a single reference electrode. It exhibits a very low ON-state voltage drop that makes it interesting for specific mains applications with low load current (0.5 $\text{A}_{{\text {rms}}}$). The study of the Bipac structure is carried out using 2-D Sentaurus physical simulations. The Bipac structure is realized on n-type and on p-type substrates for two different wafer thicknesses. The operating modes of the monolithic bidirectional Bipac switch were validated through electrical characterizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present two accurate physics-based models of ballistic metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs), both using less than ten parameters. These models—the capacitor model and the virtual source model—are based on the Landauer–Büttiker formalism. We show that the nonthermalization of charge carriers in the channels of ballistic MOSFETs leads to two critical effects that need to be considered in the modeling: the ballistic drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect and the floating source effect. The ballistic DIBL effect is responsible for a drain voltage dependence of the DIBL parameter; the floating source effect intensifies the injection of high-energy carriers from the source as the gate voltage increases. Specifically, the analysis is carried out on devices composed of monolayer black phosphorus, a 2-D semiconductor with unique electronic and mechanical properties, which make it a promising candidate for 2-D digital logic applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-heating in fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is experimentally studied using the gate resistance thermometry technique, in a wide temperature range from 300 down to 4.2 K. We demonstrate that below 160 K, the channel temperature increase ($\Delta {T}$) due to self-heating starts to deviate significantly from the linear variation with the dissipated power, leading to an apparent power dependent thermal resistance. This power dependence is interpreted in terms of temperature dependent thermal conductivity. The thermal resistance dependence on the active device temperature (${T}_{\text {Device}}$) indicates that the former one is mainly driven by the thermal conductivity of the oxide layer. Moreover, based on this dependence we reconstructed the channel temperature increase for each dissipated power and ambient temperature, and we found that the calculated values were in a good agreement with the experimental ones. Results indicate that even at low temperatures, thermal resistance does not depend significantly on the silicon channel thickness (ranging from 7 up to 24 nm), whereas the buried-oxide thinning (145 and 25 nm) strongly reduces the magnitude of the thermal resistance. Finally, this paper intends to fill the gap of experimental data concerning self-heating in advanced FDSOI transistors at low temperatures, revealing limitations and perspectives that should be taken into account for future work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrolyte-gated, printed field-effect transistors exhibit high charge carrier densities in the channel and thus high on-currents at low operating voltages, allowing for the low-power operation of such devices. This behavior is due to the high area-specific capacitance of the device, in which the electrolyte takes the role of the dielectric layer of classical architectures. In this paper, we investigate intrinsic double-layer capacitances of ink-jet printed electrolyte-gated inorganic field-effect transistors in both in-plane and top-gate architectures by means of voltage-dependent impedance spectroscopy. By comparison with deembedding structures, we separate the intrinsic properties of the double-layer capacitance at the transistor channel from parasitic effects and deduce accurate estimates for the double-layer capacitance based on an equivalent circuit fitting. Based on these results, we have performed simulations of the electrolyte cutoff frequency as a function of electrolyte and gate resistances, showing that the top-gate architecture has the potential to reach the kilohertz regime with proper optimization of materials and printing process. Our findings additionally enable accurate modeling of the frequency-dependent capacitance of electrolyte/ion gel-gated devices as required in the small-signal analysis in the circuit simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The susceptibility of conventional silicon p-channel MOS transistors to negative bias temperature instabilities (NBTIs) is a serious threat to further device scaling. One possible solution to this problem is the use of a SiGe quantum-well channel. The introduction of a SiGe layer, which is separated from the insulator by a thin Si cap layer, not only results in high mobilities but also superior reliability with respect to NBTI. In part one of this paper, we provide experimental evidence for reduced NBTI by thoroughly studying single traps in nanoscale devices. In this paper, we present detailed TCAD simulations and employ the four-state nonradiative multiphonon model to determine the energetical and spatial positions of the identified single traps. The found trap levels agree with the defect bands estimated in large-area devices. Our conclusions are also supported by the observation of similar activation energies for defects present in transistors of various device geometries. From the calibrated TCAD simulations data, an impressive boost of the time-to-failure for the SiGe transistor can be predicted and explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an analytical model has been developed for junctionless silicon on insulator ion-sensitive FET for pH sensing applications. The pH sensors detect the change of the hydrogen ion concentration in the aqueous solution. The modeled results show good agreement with the simulation results obtained by using Sentaurus. The electrolyte region has been considered by changing appropriate intrinsic semiconductor material in which the electron and hole charges represent the mobile ions in the aqueous solution. The effect of pH on surface potential, threshold voltage, and drain current has been investigated through model and simulations. In addition, the impact of different gate oxide materials, which act as adhesion layer, has been investigated. The pH response is defined as the amount of threshold voltage shift when the pH (in the injected solution) is varied from lower to higher values. Effect of the electrolyte region thickness on the pH sensitivity has also been discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the fundamental reliability differences between n-p-n and p-n-p SiGe HBTs. The device profile, hot carrier transport, and oxide interface differences between the two device types are explored in detail as they relate to device reliability. After careful analysis under identical electrical stress conditions for n-p-n and p-n-p, the differences in activation energies for the damage of the oxide interfaces of the two devices is determined to be the primary cause for accelerated degradation seen in p-n-p SiGe HBTs. An analytical model has been adapted for simulating these aging differences between p-n-p and n-p-n devices. This paper has significant implications for predicting the degradation of complementary SiGe HBTs and even engineering future generations with well-matched n-p-n and p-n-p device-level reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A transient and static hybrid-triggered active clamp is proposed in this paper. By skillfully incorporating different detection mechanisms, the proposed clamp achieves enhanced static electrical overstress protection capability over the transient one. Furthermore, the proposed clamp achieves improved electrostatic discharge reaction speed in both human body model and charged device model events over the static one. Moreover, the superior transient-noise immunity of the proposed clamp over traditional transient ones is essentially revealed in this paper. The proposed clamp is successfully verified in a 65-nm bulk CMOS process. In addition, the design flexibility of the proposed clamp for other processes is also deeply discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, circuit level analysis of the high frequency and low noise performance of an RF CMOS device with L\mathrm{ eff}= 36 nm is performed using various layout schemes. By using the modeling methodology of interconnect metals and vias, it is found that the gate parasitic capacitance from the interconnects mainly affects the degradation of high frequency and noise performance. An optimized layout scheme is proposed to reduce the gate parasitic resistance and capacitance in this paper, and the proposed layout exhibits improved RF behaviors for fT , f\mathrm {\mathrm {MAX}} , and NFmin at 26 GHz up to ~13%, ~24%, and ~18% compared with the reference layout scheme, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Resistive switching memory (RRAM) features many optimal properties for future memory applications that make RRAM a strong candidate for storage-class memory and embedded nonvolatile memory. This paper addresses the cycling-induced degradation of RRAM devices based on a HfO2 switching layer. We show that the cycling degradation results in the decrease of several RRAM parameters, such as the resistance of the low-resistance state, the set voltage V\mathrm{ set} , the reset voltage V\mathrm{ reset} , and others. The degradation with cycling is further attributed to enhanced ion mobility due to defect generation within the active filament area in the RRAM device. A distributed-energy model is developed to simulate the degradation kinetics and support our physical interpretation. This paper provides an efficient methodology to predict device degradation after any arbitrary number of cycles and allows for wear leveling in memory array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present extensive characterization of low-frequency noise in advanced silicon germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors. We demonstrate the extraction methodology of base and collector noise spectral densities for a wide range of transistor geometries. In addition to 1/ $f$ noise, generation–recombination (G–R) mechanisms are observed at low bias in the base current noise. Their existence is confirmed by Random Telegraph Signal (RTS) noise measurements. 1/ $f$ and G–R components are extracted from the base current noise spectra and their bias dependencies are studied. Finally, base current noise spectral densities measured at the same base current density in different geometries are compared to study the individual contribution of 1/ $f$ noise from the periphery as well as the intrinsic device. Part II of this paper will discuss the modeling aspects and noise correlation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Part I, we proposed reconfigurable ferroelectric transistors (R-FEFETs) with a unique property of dynamic modulation between the volatile (logic) and nonvolatile (memory) modes of operation with the help of a control signal. They showcase excellent robustness in the presence of gate leakage with larger hysteresis in the nonvolatile mode with respect to ferroelectric FETs (FEFETs) and higher ON current in the volatile mode compared with standard FETs. Using the unique attributes of R-FEFETs presented in Part I, we explain the dynamics of transition between various modes of operation for circuit-level applications in this paper. We propose a 3T nonvolatile memory design that offers significant power savings over FEFET-based memories by virtue of the control terminal. Our analysis shows that the proposed R-FEFET memory exhibits 55% lower write power and 37%–72% lower read power at iso access time and 33% lower area compared with a recently proposed standard FEFET-based memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a lateral injection enhanced insulated gate bipolar transistor (LIEGT) and investigate its mechanism. The LIEGT features a recessed trench at the cathode side of the drift region formed by LOCal oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) process. The recessed trench suppresses holes being extracted and enhances the electron injection, thus contributing to a very low loss in the ON-state. The ON-state voltage (${V}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}$) of the LIEGT is reduced by 24% at the current density of 200 A/cm2 and the saturation current is 40% higher than that of the conventional lateral insulated gate bipolar transistor (LIGBT). The LIEGT exhibits an improved tradeoff between ${V}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}$ and turnoff loss (${E}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$). For the same ${V}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}$ , the ${E}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$ is decreased by 38% compared with that of the conventional LIGBT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the RF intermodulation characteristics of transistors from a 14-nm RF FinFET technology using experimental measurements, circuit simulation with Berkeley short-channel IGFET model-common multi-gate (BSIM-CMG), and Volterra series. Linearity sweet spots with respect to gate voltage and RF power, as well as its drain voltage dependence, are examined. Key BSIM-CMG model parameters required for simultaneous fitting of dc I–V, S-parameters, and intermodulation distortion are identified and demonstrated. Volterra series analysis shows that distortion resulting from ${V}_{\textsf {DS}}$ derivatives of ${I}_{\textsf {DS}}$ dominates at most biases. A minimum third-order intercept gate voltage ${V}_{\textsf {GS,IP3}}$ of 0.5 V is observed, compared with 0.7 V in a 28-nm high- ${k}$ metal-gate planar device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the detailed physical insights into the electrostatic discharge (ESD) behavior of hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H)-based thin-film transistor (TFT) technology. Device failure under ESD conditions is studied in detail using electrical and optical techniques. Device degradation under ESD timescales is studied using real-time capacitance–voltage and a spatially variant degradation behavior is reported. Variations in material properties are studied before and after device failure using Raman spectroscopy. Device dimension-dependent failure mechanism is explored. Impact of stressing conditions and presence of top passivation on failure behavior is also explored. Failure physics of technologically relevant device architectures including diode-connected transistors (gated diodes) and drain underlap TFTs and their increased ESD robustness is discussed. Finally, ESD behavior of a-Si:H-based TFTs is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a new model for parasitic extension resistance considering the effect of the spacer dielectric constant on the nanoplate-field-effect transistor (NP-FET) structure. Unlike the previous model that considers the accumulation carriers under the gate overlap, the newly proposed model is developed based on the extension surface potential, which is dependent on the spacer dielectric constant. In addition, surface mobility is redefined by considering the change of the surface electric field with respect to the changes of spacer material. The accuracy of the model was validated by changing physical parameters such as nanoplate width, thickness, source and drain bulk doping concentration, and spacer materials, and it was found that the errors were within 5% of the 3-D technology computer-aided design device simulation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the requirements of device cross section and aspect ratio (AR) are examined to facilitate steep switching in heavily doped 3-D multiple gate junctionless (JL) transistors. It is shown through well-calibrated simulations and physical insights that the sharp OFF-to- ON switching action is predominantly governed by the area of cross section (${A} _{\textsf {cross}}$) instead of the gate length. A 3-D JL architecture preferably oriented toward a planar topology, i.e., with wider fin and low AR, is conducive for steep switching as a greater bulk area is available for impact ionization. On the contrary, narrow vertical architectures with AR > 1 suppress ${A} _{\textsf {cross}}$ in the bulk and are less likely to support the steep current transition. Steep switching specific scaling methodology is showcased to attain a sharp increase in drain current with a sub-60 mV/decade swing in a tri-gate JL transistor along with an associated negative value of total gate capacitance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid sintering of printable metal nanoparticle inks is vital for the industrial mass production of electronic devices. In this paper, we report a rapid laser annealing method for printed Ag nanoparticle-based inks. We also fabricate Ag circuits and organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) on flexible plastic substrates through spontaneous patterning under deep ultraviolet (DUV) exposure. Compared to the conventional thermal annealing, laser annealing significantly reduces the processing time from 3600 to 10 s while preventing damage caused by excessive heat. The OTFT with laser-annealed Ag source/drain electrodes achieved good performance with saturated mobility of 1.68 cm $^{{2}}\cdot \text{V}^{-{1}}\cdot \text{s}^{-{1}}$ , high-reliability factor of 86.75%, and large saturated drain current resulting from the small channel resistance. This rapid laser annealing method is feasible for printing flexible electronics using metal nanoparticle-based inks in industrial mass production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated using solution-processed zinc–tin-oxide (ZTO) semiconductor thin films as the channel layers are proposed in this paper. Effect of the ZTO annealing temperature on the TFT performance is studied. Significant reduction of oxygen-vacancy and chlorine residue contents in the ZTO semiconductor can be obtained when the annealing temperatures are 500 °C–700 °C. The ZTO semiconductor with the annealing process at 600 °C in air can give an optimal ZTO TFT having a low leakage current of 10−12 A and a high ${I}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle ON}}/{I}_{ \mathrm{\scriptscriptstyle OFF}}$ ratio of 3 $\times \,\,10^{7}$. The subthreshold swing is 0.39 V/decade corresponding to an interface trap density of $1.2\times \,\,10^{12}\,\,$ cm−2eV−1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2-D materials possess application perspective in semiconductor logic devices owing to their bonding free surface carrier transport. However, the scaling transistor width-induced edge issues have significantly limited their surface transport within the lateral direction, leading to effective mass increasing, and bandgap fluctuations. Therefore, it is important to find a novel 2-D material with both excellent surface transport and immunity to edge effect. In this paper, inspired by the recently discovered tellurene and its unique Te-Te bonds, the edge effect on the transport characteristics of tellurene is studied theoretically in the form of tellurene nanoribbons (TNRs). Among the four edge types, three of them exhibit semiconducting characteristic owing to the unique bonding property of Te. Simulation results demonstrate that the tetragonal edges (TEs) in zigzag TNRs (ZTNRs) almost have no influence on surface transport, resulting in minimized bandgap and effective mass variations, compared to that of graphene nanoribbons, and Si and Ge nanowires. Transport behaviors of the TE-ZTNRs are investigated using a metal–oxide–semiconductor transistor model and a multiscale simulation flow, with the calculated current densities exceeding $\textsf {1}$ mA/ $\mu \text{m}$ and the on–off ratios over $10^{\textsf {11}}$. Based on the results, an explicit prediction that the TE-ZTNRs are competitive candidates for nanoscale transistor materials is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper details an extraction procedure to fully model the transient self-heating of transistors from a GaN HEMT technology. Frequency-resolved gate resistance thermometry (f-GRT) is used to extract the thermal impedance of HEMTs with various gate widths. A fully scalable analytical model is developed from the experimental results. In the second stage, transient thermoreflectance imaging (TTI) is used to bring deeper insights into the HEMTs’ temperature distribution by individually extracting the transient self-heating of each finger. TTI results are further used to successfully validate the f-GRT results and the modeling of the thermal impedance. Overall, f-GRT is demonstrated to be a fast and robust method for characterizing the transient thermal characteristics of a GaN HEMT. For the first time to the authors’ knowledge, a scalable model of the thermal impedance is extracted fully from experimental results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we target the compact capacitance modeling of organic thin-film transistor (OTFTs) valid from depletion to accumulation regime taking into account the frequency dependence. The parameters used in the model are calculated through the unified model and parameter extraction method (UMEM). We include the effect related to the density of localizated states in the gate capacitance. Finally, we analyze the experimental derivative of the gate capacitance, and we demonstrate that our model predicts it with a high degree of accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the study of a monolithically integrated FDSOI-based pixel sensor, called FDPix. The FDPix consists in cointegrating a photodiode in the substrate of an fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI) transistor. Its principle of operation is based on optical back biasing of FDSOI transistor characteristics under photodiode illumination. A reset mechanism is demonstrated using the back gate of the transistor and can be applied commonly to all pixels, allowing a very small footprint. The investigation is carried out by means of TCAD simulation, analytical modeling, and optoelectrical characterization to evaluate the sensor’s characteristics and to optimize the device technological parameters. The pixel exhibits two responses, linear response at low intensities and logarithmic response at high intensities, achieving a high dynamic range (DR) of 120–130 dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As is well known, a roadblock to realizing the full potential of GaN high-electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) for power amplifier applications is the peaked nature of the transconductance and the resulting power-gain roll-off exhibited by these devices. Motivated by promising work on compositionally graded HEMT designs, in this paper we explore this design solution using the numerical device simulation. Among other things, we examine the consequences of saturation velocity, grading profile, alloy scattering, and device scaling. In addition, lumped element modeling of the large-signal behavior is carried out to assess the power amplifier performance. We also compare the graded approach with another known method of linearity improvement in which the source resistance is reduced. In general, we find much to recommend in the graded-channel approach, especially for gate lengths greater than about 100 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the degradation of vertically aligned gallium nitride (GaN) nanowire (NW) arrays submitted to gate bias stress and UV light. Based on electrical tests and simulations, we demonstrate the existence of trapping processes that depend on the applied stress voltage ${V}_{\textsf {Gstress}}$ and on the applied light during stress (wavelength, $\lambda $). We demonstrate the following original results: 1) for positive and negative ${V}_{\textsf {Gstress}}$ conditions, no significant variation in dc characteristics is observed when the samples are stressed in dark and 2) when the devices are submitted to negative ${V}_{\textsf {Gstress}}$ and to UV light, a positive variation in threshold voltage (${V}_{\textsf {th}}$) is observed. The positive ${V}_{\textsf {th}}$ shift is ascribed to the transfer and trapping of electrons from the gate metal to the oxide, promoted by UV light. We also evaluated the temperature dependence of the threshold voltage shift under UV light. We demonstrated an increased trapping at higher temperatures, indicating a role of thermionic processes in electron trapping. On the other hand, detrapping from oxide states proceeds through defect-mediated conduction, i.e., is limited by the number of available states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]