Models Semicond Mosfet
Models Semicond Mosfet
Models Semicond Mosfet
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This model calculates the DC characteristics of a MOS (metal-oxide semiconductor)
transistor. In normal operation, a system turns on a MOS transistor by applying a voltage
to the gate electrode. When the voltage on the drain increases, the drain current also
increases until it reaches saturation. The saturation current depends on the gate voltage.
Introduction
The MOSFET (metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor) is by far the most
common semiconductor device, and it is the primary building block in all commercial
processors, memories, and digital integrated circuits. Since the first microprocessors were
introduced approximately 40 years ago this device has experienced tremendous
development, and today it is being manufactured with feature sizes of 22 nm and smaller.
The MOSFET is essentially a miniaturized switch. In this example the source and drain
contacts (the input and output of the switch) are both ohmic (low resistance) contacts to
heavily doped n-type regions of the device. Between these two contacts is a region of p-
type semiconductor. The gate contact lies above the p-type semiconductor, slightly
overlapping the two n-type regions. It is separated from the semiconductor by a thin layer
of Silicon oxide, so that it forms a capacitor with the underlying semiconductor. Applying
a voltage to the gate changes the local band structure beneath it through the Field Effect.
A sufficiently high voltage can cause the semiconductor to change from p-type to n-type
in a thin layer (the channel) underneath the gate. This is known as inversion and the
channel is sometimes referred to as the inversion layer. The channel connects the two n-
type regions of semiconductor with a thin n-type region under the gate. This region has a
significantly lower resistance than the series resistance of the np/pn junctions that
separated the source and the gate before the gate voltage produced the inversion layer.
Consequently applying a gate voltage can be used to change the resistance of the device
from a high to a low value. The gate voltage where a significant current begins to flow is
called the threshold or turn-on voltage. Figure 1 shows a schematic MOSFET with the
main electrical connections highlighted. Figure 2 shows an electron microscope image of
a modern MOSFET device.
base
VBS
Figure 1: Schematic diagram of a typical MOSFET. The current flows from the source to the
gate through a channel underneath the gate. The size of the channel is controlled by the gate
voltage.
As the voltage between the drain and the source is increased the current carried by the
channel eventually saturates through a process known as pinch-off, in which the channel
narrows at one end due to the effect of the field parallel to the surface. The channel width
is controlled by the gate voltage. Typically a larger gate voltage results in wider channel
and consequently a lower resistance for a given drain voltage. Additionally the saturation
current is larger for a higher gate voltage.
Model Definition
Figure 3 shows the model geometry, indicating how the geometry elements correspond
to features in Figure 1 In this model both the source and the base are connected to ground
Base
1
---
2
d ox ( 4ε r ,s ε 0 qN a ψ B )
V T ≅ V FB + 2ψ B + -------------------------------------------------------
ε r ,ox ε 0
where dox is the thickness of the oxide and εr,ox is its relative permittivity, ε0 is the
permittivity of free space, εr,s is the relative permittivity of the semiconductor, q is the
electron charge, and Na is the acceptor concentration under the gate. The flat band
voltage VFB and the potential difference between the intrinsic level and the Fermi-level,
ΨB, are given by the following equations:
kB T n eq
V FB = Φ m – χ + ----------- ln --------
q Nc
kB T p eq
ψ B = ----------- ln --------
q ni
where Φm is the work function of the metal contact, χ is the semiconductor electron
affinity, kB is Boltzmann’s contact, T is the absolute temperature, Nc is the semiconductor
1 1 2
n eq = --- ( N d – N a ) + --- ( N d – N a ) + 4n i
2 2
1 1 2
p eq = – --- ( N d – N a ) ± --- ( N d – N a ) + 4n i
2 2
where Nd is the donor concentration under the gate. Note that these equations assume
both complete ionization and Maxwell Boltzmann statistics (reasonable assumptions in
the region under the gate). These equations give a threshold voltage of 1.18 V, in good
agreement with the simulation value given the approximations required for the analytic
approach.
Figure 4: Drain current vs. gate voltage shown when a voltage of 10 mV is applied to the
drain. The threshold voltage is approximately 1.2 V.
Figure 5 shows the drain current vs drain voltage curves for different values of the gate
voltage. The curve shows three regions: a linear region at low voltages, a nonlinear region
at intermediate voltages and an approximately constant region at higher voltages (the
saturation region). For this device there is a slight gradient in the current at larger voltages
due to the onset of short channel effects. Short channel effects mean that the standard
analytic expressions for the saturation voltage and current are inaccurate, but the
saturation voltages are of a similar magnitude to those predicted by the simple theory given
Figure 5: Drain current vs drain voltage for different values of the gate voltage.
Vd=5V
Vd=1 V
Vd=0 V
Figure 6: Left: Electron concentration and Right: Electric Potential for the MOSFET with an
applied gate voltage of 4 V and with various applied drain voltages, Vd. Top: Vd=5 V, Middle:
Vd=1 V, Bottom: Vd=0 V. The pinch-off effect is apparent from the plots.
Modeling Instructions
From the File menu, choose New.
NEW
In the New window, click Model Wizard.
MODEL WIZARD
1 In the Model Wizard window, click 2D.
2 In the Select Physics tree, select Semiconductor>Semiconductor (semi).
3 Click Add.
4 Click Study.
5 In the Select Study tree, select General Studies>Stationary.
6 Click Done.
GLOBAL DEFINITIONS
Define parameters for the drain and gate voltages that you will later use when performing
parametric sweeps.
Parameters 1
1 In the Model Builder window, under Global Definitions click Parameters 1.
2 In the Settings window for Parameters, locate the Parameters section.
3 In the table, enter the following settings:
Rectangle 1 (r1)
1 In the Geometry toolbar, click Rectangle.
2 In the Settings window for Rectangle, locate the Size and Shape section.
3 In the Width text field, type 3.
4 In the Height text field, type 0.7.
Add a polygon which will include points to define the source, drain and gate contacts.
It will also include a line to help create the mesh.
Polygon 1 (pol1)
1 In the Geometry toolbar, click Polygon.
2 In the Settings window for Polygon, locate the Object Type section.
3 From the Type list, choose Closed curve.
4 Locate the Coordinates section. In the table, enter the following settings:
x (µm) y (µm)
0 0.67
0 0.7
0.5 0.7
0.7 0.7
2.3 0.7
2.5 0.7
3 0.7
3 0.67
3 Right-click Mesh Control Edges 1 (mce1) and choose Build All Objects.
Use the Zoom Extents button to zoom to the full geometry if desired.
MATERIALS
Next the material properties are added to the model.
ADD MATERIAL
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Material to open the Add Material window.
2 Go to the Add Material window.
3 In the tree, select Semiconductors>Si - Silicon.
4 Click Add to Component in the window toolbar.
5 In the Home toolbar, click Add Material to close the Add Material window.
SEMICONDUCTOR (SEMI)
Next the physics settings must be defined. Start by defining the doping.
0[um] X
0.6[um] Y
Then define the width and height of the uniformly doped region.
6 In the W text field, type 0.6[um].
7 In the D text field, type 0.1[um].
Choose the dopant type and the doping level in the uniformly doped region.
8 Locate the Impurity section. From the Impurity type list, choose Donor doping (n-type).
9 In the ND0 text field, type 1e20[1/cm^3].
Next specify the length scale over which the Gaussian drop off occurs. If doping into a
background dopant distribution of opposite type (as in this case), this setting specifies
the junction depth. In this model different length scales are used in the x and
y directions.
0.2[um] X
0.25[um] Y
2.4[um] X
0.6[um] Y
Metal Contact 1
1 In the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Metal Contact.
The Metal Contact feature is used to define Metal-Semiconductor interfaces of various
types. In this instance, use the default Ideal ohmic contact to define the source.
2 Select Boundary 3 only.
Note that the Metal Contact feature in COMSOL Multiphysics is a so-called Terminal
boundary condition. By default a fixed potential of 0 V is applied, which is appropriate
in this instance, since the source is grounded. The terminal can also be set up to specify
an input current, input power, or to connect to a voltage or current source from an
external circuit.
Add a second Metal Contact feature to define the drain.
Metal Contact 2
1 In the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Metal Contact.
2 Select Boundary 7 only.
Set the drain voltage to be determined by the previously defined parameter.
Metal Contact 3
1 In the Physics toolbar, click Boundaries and choose Metal Contact.
2 Select Boundary 2 only.
Set up the gate. The gate dielectric is not explicitly represented in the model, instead
the Thin Insulator Gate boundary condition represents both the gate contact and the
thin layer of oxide.
Trap-Assisted Recombination 1
1 In the Physics toolbar, click Domains and choose Trap-Assisted Recombination.
2 In the Settings window for Trap-Assisted Recombination, locate the Domain Selection
section.
3 From the Selection list, choose All domains.
MESH 1
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1) click Mesh 1.
2 In the Settings window for Mesh, locate the Sequence Type section.
3 From the list, choose User-controlled mesh.
Size
1 In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1)>Mesh 1 click Size.
2 In the Settings window for Size, locate the Element Size section.
3 Click the Custom button.
4 Locate the Element Size Parameters section. In the Maximum element growth rate text
field, type 1.05.
Size 1
In the Model Builder window, under Component 1 (comp1)>Mesh 1 right-click Size 1 and
choose Delete.
Size 2
In the Model Builder window, right-click Size 2 and choose Delete.
Free Triangular 1
In the Model Builder window, right-click Free Triangular 1 and choose Delete.
Edge 1
1 In the Mesh toolbar, click Edge.
3 In the Settings window for Edge, click to expand the Control Entities section.
4 Clear the Smooth across removed control entities check box.
Size 1
1 Right-click Edge 1 and choose Size.
2 In the Settings window for Size, locate the Element Size section.
3 From the Calibrate for list, choose Semiconductor.
4 Click the Custom button.
5 Locate the Element Size Parameters section.
6 Select the Maximum element size check box. In the associated text field, type 0.03.
Mapped 1
1 In the Mesh toolbar, click Mapped.
2 In the Settings window for Mapped, locate the Domain Selection section.
3 From the Geometric entity level list, choose Domain.
4 Select Domain 2 only.
5 Click to expand the Control Entities section. Clear the
Smooth across removed control entities check box.
Distribution 1
1 Right-click Mapped 1 and choose Distribution.
2 Select Boundary 9 only.
3 In the Settings window for Distribution, locate the Distribution section.
4 From the Distribution type list, choose Predefined.
5 In the Number of elements text field, type 8.
6 In the Element ratio text field, type 9.
7 From the Growth rate list, choose Exponential.
8 Select the Reverse direction check box.
Free Triangular 1
1 In the Mesh toolbar, click Free Triangular.
2 In the Settings window for Free Triangular, click to expand the Control Entities section.
3 Clear the Smooth across removed control entities check box.
4 Click Build All.
STUDY 1
Before setting up the study, check that the doping was set up correctly. To do this, first get
the initial value for the study.
RESULTS
Add a 2D plot group to check the dopant distribution in the model.
2D Plot Group 1
In the Home toolbar, click Add Plot Group and choose 2D Plot Group.
Step 1: Stationary
Now set up a Stationary study to determine the turn-on voltage for the transistor. In this
study, set Vd to 10 mV and sweep over Vg.
The gate voltage is swept between 0 and 4 V with uneven step sizes to reduce
computation time and file size.
Running continuation for the Vg parameter configures the solver to use the solution for
the previous continuation parameter step as the initial guess for the solution. It also
allows the solver to take intermediate steps at values of Vg not specified in the list if
necessary.
9 In the Home toolbar, click Compute.
RESULTS
Add a 1D plot group to plot the source current versus the gate voltage.
Global 1
1 Right-click 1D Plot Group 2 and choose Global.
The postprocessing menus contain a wide range of quantities available for plotting.
Choose the current flowing into terminal 2.
2 In the Settings window for Global, click Replace Expression in the upper-right corner of
the y-Axis Data section. From the menu, choose Component 1 (comp1)>Semiconductor>
Terminals>semi.I0_2 - Terminal current - A.
3 Locate the y-Axis Data section. In the table, enter the following settings:
Id vs. Vg (Vd=10mV)
1 In the Model Builder window, right-click 1D Plot Group 2 and choose Rename.
2 In the Rename 1D Plot Group dialog box, type Id vs. Vg (Vd=10mV) in the New label
text field.
3 Click OK.
ROOT
Now add an additional study to plot the source current as a function of drain voltage at a
range of different gate voltages.
ADD STUDY
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Study to open the Add Study window.
2 Go to the Add Study window.
3 Find the Studies subsection. In the Select Study tree, select General Studies>Stationary.
4 Click Add Study in the window toolbar.
5 In the Home toolbar, click Add Study to close the Add Study window.
Step 1: Stationary
1 In the Settings window for Stationary, click to expand the Values of Dependent Variables
section.
2 Find the Initial values of variables solved for subsection. From the Settings list, choose
User controlled.
3 From the Method list, choose Solution.
4 From the Study list, choose Study 1, Stationary.
5 From the Parameter value (Vg (V),Vd (V)) list, choose 9: Vg=2 V, Vd=0.01 V.
6 Locate the Study Extensions section. Select the Auxiliary sweep check box.
7 From the Sweep type list, choose All combinations.
8 Click Add.
In the table, select Vg as the Auxiliary Parameter.
Now set up the study to sweep over Vg.
9 Click Range.
10 In the Range dialog box, type 2 in the Start text field.
11 In the Step text field, type 1.
12 In the Stop text field, type 4.
13 Click Replace.
14 In the Settings window for Stationary, locate the Study Extensions section.
15 Click Add.
In this case the default Auxiliary Parameter, Vd, is the desired parameter for the sweep.
16 In the table, enter the following settings:
The inner sweep over Vd, the last parameter, should be used for the continuation solver
since the solution will only change slightly between close values of Vd. Configure the
solver to reuse the solution from the last step of the continuation parameter sweep as
the initial value for the next step for the outer sweep parameter Vg.
17 From the Reuse solution from previous step list, choose Auto.
18 In the Home toolbar, click Compute.
1D Plot Group 6
1 In the Home toolbar, click Add Plot Group and choose 1D Plot Group.
2 In the Settings window for 1D Plot Group, locate the Data section.
3 From the Dataset list, choose Study 2/Solution 2 (sol2).
4 Locate the Legend section. From the Position list, choose Center.
Global 1
1 Right-click 1D Plot Group 6 and choose Global.
2 In the Settings window for Global, click Replace Expression in the upper-right corner of
the y-Axis Data section. From the menu, choose Component 1 (comp1)>Semiconductor>
Terminals>semi.I0_2 - Terminal current - A.
3 Locate the y-Axis Data section. In the table, enter the following settings:
Id vs. Vd
1 In the Model Builder window, right-click 1D Plot Group 6 and choose Rename.