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Outline: PN Junction and MOS Electrostatics (IV)

The document summarizes a lecture on MOS electrostatics. It outlines the key regimes including depletion, flatband, accumulation, threshold, and inversion. It then provides details on each regime, defining important terms like threshold voltage and deriving the charge-control relation that shows how the inversion charge Qn is proportional to the gate bias VGB above the threshold voltage VT.

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VISHAL SINGH
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49 views16 pages

Outline: PN Junction and MOS Electrostatics (IV)

The document summarizes a lecture on MOS electrostatics. It outlines the key regimes including depletion, flatband, accumulation, threshold, and inversion. It then provides details on each regime, defining important terms like threshold voltage and deriving the charge-control relation that shows how the inversion charge Qn is proportional to the gate bias VGB above the threshold voltage VT.

Uploaded by

VISHAL SINGH
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Lecture 7

PN Junction and MOS Electrostatics(IV)


Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Structure (contd.)

Outline

1. Overview of MOS electrostatics under bias


2. Depletion regime
3. Flatband
4. Accumulation regime
5. Threshold
6. Inversion regime

Reading Assignment:
Howe and Sodini, Chapter 3, Sections 3.8-3.9

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 1


1. Overview of MOS electrostatics
under bias

Application of bias:
• Built-in potential across MOS structure increases
from φB to φB + VGB
• Oxide forbids current flow ⇒
– J=0 everywhere in semiconductor
– Need drift = -diffusion in SCR
• Must maintain boundary condition at Si/SiO2
interface
– Eox / Es ≈ 3

How can this be accommodated simultaneously? ⇒


quasi-equilibrium situation with potential build-up
across MOS equal to φB + VGB
6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 2
Important consequence of quasi-equilibrium:

⇒ Boltzmann relations apply in semiconductor

[they were derived starting from Jn = Jp =0]

n(x) = ni e qφ (x) kT
− qφ(x) kT
p(x) = ni e
and

2
np = ni at every x

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 3


2. Depletion regime
For VGB>0, metal attracts electrons and repels holes
⇒ Depletion region widens

For VGB<0, metal repels electrons and attracts holes


⇒ Depletion region shrinks

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 4


In depletion regime, all results obtained for thermal
equilibrium apply if φB → φB+VGB.

For example:

Depletion region thickness:

⎡ ⎤
εs ⎢ 2C 2
( B GB ) ⎥
φ + V
xd (VGB ) = ⎢ 1+ ox
− 1⎥
Cox ⎢ εs qNa
⎣ ⎦⎥
Potential drop across semiconductor SCR:

qN a x d2
V B (VGB ) =
2ε s

Surface potential
φ(0) = φ p + VB (VGB )

Potential drop across oxide:

qN a x d t ox
Vox (VGB ) =
ε ox

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 5


3. Flatband

At a certain negative VGB, depletion region is wiped out


⇒ Flatband

Flatband Voltage:
VGB = VFB = −φ B = −(φN + − φ p )
6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 6
4. Accumulation regime
If VGB < VFB accumulation of holes at Si/SiO2 interface

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 7


5. Threshold
Back to VGB>0.

For sufficiently large VGB>0, electrostatics change when


n(0)=Na ⇒ threshold.

Beyond threshold, we cannot neglect contributions of


electrons towards electrostatics.

Let’s compute the gate voltage (threshold voltage) that


leads to n(0)=Na.

Key assumption: use electrostatics of depletion


(neglect electron concentration at threshold)

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 8


Computation of threshold voltage.
Three step process:

First, compute potential drop in semiconductor at


threshold. Start from:

n(0) = ni e qφ(o) kT
Solve for φ(0) at VGB = VT:

kT n (0) kT Na
φ(0 ) V =V T = q • ln n = • ln = − φp
GB
i VGB = VT q n i

VB (VT ) = −2φ p
Hence:

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 9


Computation of threshold voltage (contd.)

Second, compute potential drop in oxide at threshold.

Obtain xd(VT) using relationship between VB and xd in


depletion:
qN a x d (VT )
2
VB (VGB = VT ) = = −2φ p
2ε s
Solve for xd at VGB = VT:
2 εs (−2φ p )
xd (VT ) = x d max =
qN a
Then:
qN a xd (VT ) 1
Vox (VT ) = Eox (VT )tox = tox = 2 εs qN a (−2φ p )
ε ox Cox

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 10


Computation of threshold voltage. (contd..)

Finally, sum potential drops across structure.

1
VT + φB = VB (VT ) + Vox (VT ) = −2φ P + 2ε s qNa (−2φ p )
Cox

Solve for VT:


1
VGB = VT = VFB − 2φP + 2εsqNa(−2φp)
Cox
Key dependencies:

• If Na ↑ ⇒ VT ↑. The higher the doping, the more


voltage required to produce n(0) = Na
• If Cox ↑ (tox↓) ⇒ VT ↓. The thinner the oxide, the
less voltage dropped across the oxide.
6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 11
6. Inversion
What happens for VGB > VT?

More electrons at Si/SiO2 interface than acceptors


⇒ inversion.

Electron concentration at Si/SiO2 interface modulated


by VGB ⇒ VGB ↑ → n(0) ↑ → |Qn| ↑ :
Field-effect control of mobile charge density!
[essence of MOSFET]

Want to compute Qn vs. VGB [charge-control relation]

Make sheet charge approximation: electron layer at


Si/SiO2 is much thinner than any other dimension in
problem (tox, xd).
6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 12
Charge-Control Relation
To derive the charge-control relation, let’s look at
the overall electrostatics:

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 13


Charge-Control Relation (contd.)
Key realization:

n(0) ∝ e qφ(0) kT
qN a x d ∝ φ (0)

Hence, as VGB ↑ and φ(0) ↑ , n(0) will change a lot, but


|Qd| will change very little.

Several consequences:

• xd does not increase much beyond threshold:

2ε s (−2φ p )
xd (inv.) ≈ x d (VT ) = = xd,max
qNa

• VB does not increase much beyond VB(VT) =-2φP


(a thin sheet of electrons does not contribute much to
VB.):

VB (inv.) ≈ VB (VT ) = −2φ P

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 14


Charge-Control Relation (contd..)
• All extra voltage beyond VT used to increase
inversion charge Qn. Think of it as capacitor:
– Top plate: metal gate
– Bottom plate: inversion layer

Q = CV
⇒
Qn = −Cox (VGB − VT ) for VGB > VT
Coul/cm2

Existence of Qn and control over Qn by VGB


⇒ key to MOS electronics

6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 15


What did we learn today?
Summary of Key Concepts

In inversion:
Qn = Cox (VGB − VT ) for VGB > VT
6.012 Spring 2007 Lecture 7 16

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