MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.

RamaKomaragiri 1of8
MOSElectrostaticsinThermalEquilibrium:
AcrosssectionofMOSCinthermalequilibriumisshowninfig.1.Thesubstrateisptype.Thegateis
dopedn+typewith10
20
cm
3
.
Fig.1:CrosssectionofaMOSCinthermalequilibrium

0 0 0 B a d G
qN X Q Q = = (1.1)
WhereN
a
issubstratedoping,t
ox
isoxidethickness
1
.Intheanalysis,wefixtheoriginofordinateatthe
gateoxidesubstrateinterfacesothatthegateelectrodegateoxideinterfaceisatt
ox
.Theboundary
conditionontheelectricfieldattheoxidesubstrateinterfaceresultsin

0 0
( ( ) ) 0
ox s
x o E E x
+
= = = (1.2)
ByapplyingKirchhoffsvoltagelawtotheMOScapacitorinthermalequilibrium(showninfig.1),

,0 0
0
mn ox B pm
V V | |
+
= (1.3)
|
mn+
and|
pm
aretheworkfunctionsofMScontactsonthegate.Assumingthatthemetalonthegate
electrodeandsemiconductorsubstrateissame,theMScontactspotentialdropshavenosignificance.
Solvingfortheinternaldropfromn+polysilicongatetotheptypebulk,

( ) ( )
,0 0 ox B pm p
mn n
V V | | | |
+ +
+ = = + (1.4)
Inordertoquantifythepotentialvariation|
0
(x)andthewidthofthedepletionregionX
d0
,westartwith
Gaussslawinintegralform,whichconnectstheelectricfieldjustinsidethesilicontothedepletion
chargeQ
B0
(C/cm2)
2
.Thus

1
Thesubscript0indicatesthermalequilibrium.
MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.RamaKomaragiri 2of8

( )
0 0
0
0 =
B a d
s s
X Q
E
qN
+

=

(1.5)
Sincethereisnochargelayerattheoxidesiliconinterface,theboundaryconditionthatconnectsthe
siliconfieldtotheoxidefieldisgiveby

( ) ( )
1
2
0 0 E E
+
| |
=
|
\ .

(1.6)
Usingeqn.(1.5)andeqn.(1.6)weget

( )
0 0
0
0
s a d a d
ox
x o o x s
E
qN X qN X
E

| |
=
|
.
=
\

(1.7)
Thepotentialintheoxidewhere 0
ox
t x s s isgivenby
( ) ( ) ( )
0
ox
a d
ox ox ox ox
n
x
o
ox t
qN X
x dx x t E E x t | |
+

= = = + +
}

(1.8)
Thepotentialattheoxide/siliconinterfacecanbeevaluatedbysubstitutingx=0ineqn.(1.8).Thispo
tentialisthevalueofsurfacepotentialinthermalequilibrium.Substitutingfortheoxidecapacitance
ox ox ox
C t = [F/cm
2
]
( )
0
0
0 =
a d
o s
n
ox
qN X
x
C
| | |
+
= = (1.9)
TheresultcanbeexpressedintermsofV
ox,0
whichisthedropacrosstheoxide.
( )
0 0
,0
0
a d G
ox o
n
ox ox
qN Q X
V
C C
| |
+
= = = (1.10)
Toevaluatedepletionregioninthesiliconsubstrate,fromtheintegralfromofGausslaw,theelectric
fieldE
o
(x)inthechargedregion ( )
0
0
d
x X s s isgivenby
( ) ( )
0
0
x
s o s o a a
qN q E E N x dx x
+
+
= =
}
(1.11)
SolvingforE
o
(x)andsubstitutingforE
o
(0
+
),theelectricfieldattheinterface,fromeqn.(1.5),wefind

2
Inthisanalysis,weconsiderchargeperunitarea.Togetcharge,wehavetomultiplywithgateareawhichisWL
MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.RamaKomaragiri 3of8
( )
( )
0 a d
o
s
qN X
E
x
x =

(1.12)
Integratingtheelectricfieldfromeqn.(1.12)tofindthepotential|
o
(x)inthechargedregion
( )
0
0
d
x X s s
( ) ( ) ( )
0
2
0
0
2
x
a
o o o d
s
E dx
qN x
x x X x | |
+
= =
| |

|
\ .
}

(1.13)
Substitutingfor|
o
(0)fromeqn.(1.9)thepotentialinthechargedregionisgivenby
( )
2
0
0
2
a d a
o d
n
ox s
qN X qN x
x X x
C
| |
+
| | | |
=
| |
\ . \ .

(1.14)
Sincethepotentialatx=X
d0
is ( )
0
X
o d p
| | = ,thethermalequilibriumbuiltinpotentialacrossthepolysi
liconoxidesiliconsandwichisgivenby

2
0 0 a d a d
p
n
ox s
qN X qN X
C
| |
+
= +

(1.15)
SolvingforX
d0
resultsin

( )
2
0
2
1 1
ox p
n s
d ox
ox s a
C
X t
q N
| |
+
| |

| |
|
= +
|
|
\ .
\ .

(1.16)
Itcanbeseenbycomparingeqn.(1.15)witheqn.(1.10)andeqn.(1.13)thefirsttermisequilibriumpo
tentialdropacrosstheoxideV
ox,0
andthesecondtermispotentialdropacrossthechargedregionV
B0
.
MOSElectrostaticsunderAppliedBias:
TheelectrostaticsofMOScapacitordifferalotdependingupontheappliedgatetobulkbiasV
GB
.
Flatband:
AMOScapacitorunderflatbandisshowninfig.2.Agoodstartingpointistoapplyagatevoltagethatis
oppositetothebuiltininternalpotentialdrop|
n+
|
p
,whichdefinestheflatbandvoltageV
FB
.
Accumulation:
Whenthepotentialonn+polysilicongateispulledlessthanthatoftheptypebulk,leadstoanegative
chargeongateandpositivechargeattheoxidesiliconinterface.Theptypesubstratehasahighcon
centrationofmobileholesthataccumulateattheoxidesiliconinterfaceduetoattractionofpositive
MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.RamaKomaragiri 4of8
chargesbynegativegatecharges.Anexcessofholesovertheacceptorconcentrationresultsinnetneg
ativechargeatthesiliconsurface.Thesurfacepotentialispulledlowerduetothesurfaceholeconcen
trationp
s
exceedingthebulkdopingconcentration.
ln ln
s a
s
i i
p N kT kT
q n q n
|
| | | |
= <
| |
\ . \ .
(1.17)
However,thelogarithmicfunctionisweakanditisreasonableapproximationthat
s p
| | = inaccumula
tion.

Fig.2:MOSCapacitorunderappliedflatbandvoltage

Depletion:
ThethermalequilibriumcasewestudiedinthisexampleiswithV
GB
>V
FB
(V
GB
=0andV
FB
<0).Thepositive
sheetchargeonthegateinthermalequilibriumismirroredinanegativelychargeddepletionregionin
thesiliconsubstrate.Sincetheformofchargedensityinthermalequilibriumelectrostaticanalysiscan
beadaptedandappliedher.Weknowthat
( )
-
FB p
n
V | |
+
= ,replacingVGBVFBratherthanVFBinto
eqn.(1.9)andeqn.(1.16)andmodifyingtheresultsaccordinglyyieldssurfacepotentialas
( ) ( )
( )
a d GB
s GB GB n
ox
q
C
N
V V
X V
| |
+
+ = (1.18)
Andthedepletionregionwidthisgivenby
( )
( )
2
2
1 1
o GB FB s
d GB ox
ox s
x
a
V C
X t
q
V
V
N
| |
| |
| = +
|
|
\ .
\ .

(1.19)
MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.RamaKomaragiri 5of8
TheThresholdVoltage:
Astheappliedbiasincreases,thesurfacepotentialincreasesaccordingtoeqn.(1.18).Atsomepointthe
assumptionsunderlyingthedepletionregionchargedistributionbecomeinvalid.Forexample,ifwego
onincreasingV
GB
,depletionregionwidthandsurfacepotentialgoesonincreasingandthesurfacepo
tentialalsogoesonincreasing.However,thesurfacepotentialhasamaximumpotentialmeaningthat
thepotentialatthesiliconinterfaceshouldnotbemorethanthesurfacepotential.Theelectroncon
centrationincreasesaccordingto

s
s
kT
i
e n n
|
= (1.20)
Theelectronconcentrationincreasestoapointwhereiteventuallybecomesdominantcomponentof
thenegativechargeinthesiliconsubstrate.Afterthesurfacebecomesstronglyntype,thechargeden
sityinthesiliconmustbemodifiedtoincludetheelectroncontribution
( ) ( ) ( )
( )
0
x
a a i
kT
d
x q N q N n x n e x X
|
=
| |
+ + s s
|

.
=
\
(1.21)
Substitutingeqn.(1.21)intoPoissonsequationleadsintoanonlineardifferentialequationforthepo
tential|(x).
Theexponentialincreaseintheelectronconcentrationwithincreasingsurfacepotentialisimportantin
makinganapproximationtothechargedensity.Wecanidentifyacriticalsurfacepotential(|
s

below
whichn(x)canbeneglectedandtheMOScapacitorconsidereddepleted.Thevoltagetillwhichn(x)can
beneglectediscalledonsetofinversion.Thusatonsetofinversion,thesurfacepotentialisequaltothe
potentialofthebulkptype.Thus

'
s p
| | = (1.22)
Thesurfaceelectronconcentrationat
'
s p
| | = is
( )
'
p
s
kT kT
s i i a d
e e n n n N p x X
|
|

= = = = > (1.23)
Inotherwords,eqn.(1.23)statesthatatthecriticalsurfacepotential,theelectronconcentrationis
equaltoacceptorconcentration,orthatthesurfaceisasmuchasntypeasthebulkisptype.Insolving
theelectrostaticsfor|
s

= |
p
,wewillneglectn
s
.
TheappliedgatebiasV
GB
atwhichtheonsetofinversionoccursisaveryimportantquantityandiscalled
asthresholdvoltageV
Tn
forMOScapacitorsonptypesubstrates.Atonsetofinversionthepotential
dropV
B
acrossthedepletionregionisaknownquantity

' '
2
p B s p p p
V | | | | | = = = (1.24)
MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.RamaKomaragiri 6of8
Atonsetofinversion,thedepletionregionwidthhasincreasedtoitsmaximumvalueX
d,max
.Integration
oftheconstantchargeinthedepletionregionqN
a
leadsfrom0toX
d,max
leadsto

2
,
'
2
2
a
d max p
s
B
qN
V X |
| |
= =
|
\ .

(1.25)
SolvingforX
d,max
,

( )
,
2
2
s
d max p
a
X
qN
| =

(1.26)
Thechargeinthedepletionregionattheonsetofinversionisproductofchargedensityanddepletion
width

( )
, ,
2 = 2q
B max a d max s a p
Q qN X N | = (1.27)
UsingGausssintegraltofindtheelectricfieldinoxideleads

( )
' , '
2 2 q
B max ox
ox
ox s a p
ox o
ox o
x
x
Q
t
V E
t
t N |
| |
= = =
|
\

.


(1.28)
Sincetheinternalvoltagedropacrosstheoxideis

' '
B ox GB FB Tn FB
V V V V V V = = + (1.29)
Or

' '
Tn F o B B x
V V V V + + = (1.30)
SubstitutingforV
B
andV
ox
fromeqn.(1.25)andeqn.(1.28)intoeqn.(1.30)yields

( )
1
2 + 2q 2
Tn FB p s a p
ox
V V
C
N | | = (1.31)
Theaboveexpressionissumofthreesimpleterms,thefirsttermisflatbandvoltage,thesecondtermis
dropacrossthedepletionregionandthefinaltermismagnitudeofdepletionchargeatinversiondi
videdbyoxidecapacitanceatonsetofinversion.
Inversion:
Whentheappliedgatevoltageisincreasedbeyondthresholdvoltage,smallchangesinthesurfacepo
tentialleadtolargeincreasesinsurfaceelectronconcentration.Toincreasetheelectronconcentration
byanorder,thesurfacepotentialshouldbeincreasedby60mV.Thismeansthatthesurfacepotential
MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.RamaKomaragiri 7of8
slowlyincreasesasV
GB
israisedbuttheelectronconcentrationincreaseslinearlywithV
GB
.Tosimplify
theelectrostatics,wemakeanapproximationcalleddeltadepletionapproximation

'
s p Tn s GB
forV V | | | = = > (1.32)
Thismeansthatthesurfacepotentialispinnedat|
p
ininversion.Theapproximationofsurfacepoten
tialpinnedmeanseqn.(1.20)cannotbeusedtofindtheelectronconcentration.Ourgoalistofindthe
electronchargeininversionlayerortheinversionlayerelectronchargeQ
N
[C/cm
2
]asafunctionofap
pliedgatebias.WhenV
GB
issuchthattheMOScapacitorisininversion,electronsattheoxidesilicon
surfaceconstituteasheetchargeQ
N
[C/cm
2
]thatisrepresentedbydeltafunctionattheinterface.The
depletionregionwidthisX
d,max
afterinversionbecausethedropacrossremainsfixedat2|
p
.Thepoten
tialdropacrosstheoxideincreasessinceV
GB
>V
Tn
and
2
GB FB ox p
V V V | = (1.33)
UsingtheintegralformofGaussslawforconnectingV
ox
tothechargeinsiliconthatconsistsofelectron
chargeQ
N
andthemaximumdepletioncharge
'
, B max B
Q Q =

( )
,
1
ox ox ox B max N
ox
V E Q
C
t Q = = (1.34)
Thereareatleasttworeasonsfordiscontinuitiesintheelectricfieldattheinterface.Thefirstone
comesfromthefactthatfielddropsbyafactor3(duetoratiosindielectricconstantratiosinsilicon
oxidetosilicon).Theelectronsintheinversionlayerfromthechargesheetlocatedattheoxideinterface
donotcontributetotheelectricfield.Thusattheinterface,
( )
,
0
3
N B max
ox ox
ox
s s
Q
E
E E
Q | |
= = =
|
\ .

(1.35)
And

( ) ( )
( )
,
0 0
B max N
s s
Q Q
E E
+

= =

(1.36)
Thewidthofinversionlayeris5nmsothedropinelectricfieldisnotthatabrupt.Substitutingeqn.
(1.34)intoeqn.(1.33)leads

( )
,
2 2
1
GB FB ox p B max N p
ox
V V V Q
C
Q | | = = (1.37)
Solvingtheeqn.(1.37)forinversionlayercharge,
MOSDeviceModelingElectrostatics Dr.RamaKomaragiri 8of8
( )
,
2
B max
N ox GB FB p ox GB Tn GB Tn
ox
Q
C V V C for V
C
Q V V V |
| |
= + =
|
>
\

.
(1.38)
Tosummarize,thechargeonthegatechargeasafunctionofappliedgatebulkbiasinaccumulation,
depletionandinversionrespectivelycanbewrittenas
( )
G ox GB FB GB FB
Q C forV V V V s = (1.39)
( )
( )
2
2
1 1
GB FB s a
G B GB FB GB Tn
ox s a
ox
C q
Q Q for V
C N
N
V V V
q
V V
| |

| = = +

s
|
\
s
.

(1.40)
( )
( )
2
2
1 1
Tn FB s a
G ox GB Tn GB FB
ox s a
ox
V V N
V V V
C q
Q C for V
C q N
| |

| = + +

\ .
>
|

(1.41)