Modelling of threshold voltage and subthreshold slope of strained-Si MOSFETs including quantum effects
In this paper, the threshold voltage and subthreshold slope of strained-Si channel n-MOSFETs are determined, taking into account quantum-mechanical effects, and the effect of bandgap narrowing due to heavy channel doping and the effect of surface roughness at the Si/SiGe heterointerface for ultra thin channels. Quantum-mechanical effects have been incorporated by considering three components, (1) the modified subband energy of 2D inversion layer charges at the silicon dioxide–silicon interface, (2) the increased effective oxide thickness and (3) the altered value of ground state energy due to surface roughness. The analytical results of threshold voltage and threshold voltage difference are presented with reference to unstrained-Si channel for strained-Si MOSFETs by employing poly-Si gate and titanium nitride gate, the work function of which can be varied over a wide range. In addition, we have predicted the dependence of threshold voltage on different values of oxide thickness, channel doping concentration, and on the molar content, x, of Ge in the Si1−xGex virtual substrate. When compared with the theoretical data of Nayfeh et al our analytical results agree more closely with our experimental results and also with measured and simulated data of threshold voltage for a wide range of devices available in the literature. Furthermore, we have calculated the subthreshold slope of strained-Si channel MOSFETs for different amounts of Ge in the SiGe layer.