Towards A MOS Model: Madhav Desai

Towards a MOS model
Madhav Desai
July 22, 2013
Sources
The books by Streetman and Leblebici/Kang, also Tsividis, The

MOS Transistor, McGraw-Hill.
Fermi level
The Fermi level is the average energy of an electron in a solid in

the following sense: If the solid has Fermi level EF , then the
probability that an electron state with energy E is occupied is
f (E ) =
1
1+
e (E EF )/kT
(This is called the Fermi-Dirac statistical model of a solid).
Work functions
How difficult is it to extract an electron from a solid?
0
material M.
E FM
In the diagram, is measured in volts, and E in joules (note:

1eV = 1.6 1019 J, and is often a convenient scale for
measuring energies of electrons).
Contact potentials
When two materials are brought together, a contact potential
develops across their junction.
S
MS
MS
= S M
= (E
E )/q
Energy bands when M,O,S are separated

Lets start with the three materials separated from each other..
Eo
Ec
qS
q
E
Fm
Ec
EFp
Metal
qFp
Ei
Ev
Oxide
ptype Silicon
Ev
Lets assume that qM = 4.1eV , qS = 4.9eV so that

M = 4.1V , S = 4.9V .
Energy bands in MOS structure

Now we bring them together: at equilibrium, the Fermi-level
throughout the system must be the same.
Metal
EF
Silicon
Oxide
+
S M
Electrons will prefer the Silicon, an electric field will be produced

(in the oxide and the Silicon), the bands bend.
Getting the flat-band condition

To unbend the bands, we want to make the metal as attractive as
Silicon (for the electrons). Connect a voltage source of value
VFB = SM = M S between the metal gate and the
substrate.. (why?)
M
O
+
V
FB
qVFB
E
Fm
Semiconductor.
Metal
Oxide
Because
Physical justification: Flat-band condition
The positive terminal acts a sink for electrons and the

negative terminal acts as a source.
If M < S , then M should be connected to an electron

source to keep supplying electrons to it, while S should be
connected to an electron sink which keeps extracting excess
electrons.
Accumulation: VGB < VFB

If we lower the voltage below VFB , holes will accumulate near the
surface... The bands bend up.
M
O
+
VGB < V
FB
Semiconductor.
Oxide
Henceforth, assume that VFB = 0. It makes things less confusing!
Depletion.. : VGB > VFB (= 0)

If we raise the voltage below 0(VFB ), the hole concentration near
the surface is reduced... The bands bend down.
M
O
+
V >V
GB FB
Semiconductor.
Oxide
Width of the depletion region

When the bands bend, Ei (x) is a function of the distance from the
surface. The Fermi potential is defined as qF (x) = Ei (x) EF .
We can then relate the surface Fermi potential S = F (0) with
the width of the depletion region.
E_i(x)
x=0
x=D
charge
density N
A
It is easy to show that:

|S Fp | = |q|NA D 2 /2Si
where Fp = F (), i.e., deep in the semiconductor.
Width of the depletion region
So the depth of the depletion region is

s
2Si |S Fp |
D =
|q|NA
and the depletion charge is
QD =
q
2Si |S Fp ||q|NA
Inversion
When bands bend far enough that S = Fp , we could say that
the Silicon at the surface is as n-type as the Silicon in the
substrate was p-type..
The depth of the depletion region is
s
2Si 2|Fp |
D =
|q|NA
and the depletion charge is
QD =
q
2Si 2|Fp ||q|NA
The threshold voltage

At inversion:
VGB = VT
= VFB
+ 2|Fp |
p
2Si 2|Fp ||q|NA
+
Cox
Qox
Cox
The gate material and the substrate doping are the primary
mechanisms to control the threshold voltage (of course, the oxide
charge must be small enough in order to get a reliable working
device).
Rewrite the equation

At inversion:
VGB = VT
= VFB
+ 2|Fp |
p
+ S VB
Qox
Cox
where S is the potential at the surface, and

p
2|q|NA
=
Cox
is called the body coefficient.
Strong inversion: beyond the threshold voltage

When VGB is increased beyond VT , we expect that
the increase in gate voltage causes an increase in electron

density at the surface.
the depletion width does not change.
Thus,
Qinv (VGB ) = Qinv (VT ) +
ox (VGB VT )
tox
Also,
Qi nv (VGB ) e qS /kT
so, the surface potential does not change much if VGB is raised
beyond VT .
The MOSFET under positive gate bias

In a MOSFET, the situation is
+
VDS
VGS
n+
n+
S
VSB
Depletion
region supported
by gate..
Thus, the threshold voltage for VGS is

VT
= VFB + 2|Fp |
q
+ |2|Fp | VBS |
Qox
Cox

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Towards a MOS model

July 22, 2013

The books by Streetman and Leblebici/Kang, also Tsividis, The

The Fermi level is the average energy of an electron in a solid in

(This is called the Fermi-Dirac statistical model of a solid).

In the diagram, is measured in volts, and E in joules (note:

Energy bands when M,O,S are separated

Lets assume that qM = 4.1eV , qS = 4.9eV so that

Energy bands in MOS structure

Electrons will prefer the Silicon, an electric field will be produced

Getting the flat-band condition

Physical justification: Flat-band condition

The positive terminal acts a sink for electrons and the

If M < S , then M should be connected to an electron

Accumulation: VGB < VFB

Henceforth, assume that VFB = 0. It makes things less confusing!

Depletion.. : VGB > VFB (= 0)

Width of the depletion region

It is easy to show that:

Width of the depletion region

So the depth of the depletion region is

The threshold voltage

Rewrite the equation

where S is the potential at the surface, and

Strong inversion: beyond the threshold voltage

the increase in gate voltage causes an increase in electron

the depletion width does not change.

The MOSFET under positive gate bias

Thus, the threshold voltage for VGS is

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