Unit 1 MOS Transistor
Unit 1 MOS Transistor
Prepared By
Prof. (Dr.) Shruti Oza-Rahurkar
CMOS VLSI Design and Technology have gained significant popularity due to rapid
advances in IC design and technology. With the help of CMOS VLSI design, it became
possible to miniaturize circuits along with improved performance in terms of power
and speed. CMOS VLSI design is a vast subject hence it is very complex to find
complete design process details. This material focuses on introduction to CMOS VLSI
Design. The material gives students a solid foundation and understanding of CMOS
VLSI Design and Technology.
Content
The energy band diagram of the p-type substrate is shown in Fig. 1.2.Now in p type
silicon (doped with boron using doing concentration NA) the equilibrium hole
concentration is given as NA and electron concentrations is given as ni2/NA. The band-
gap between the conduction band and the valence band for silicon is approximately 1.1
--------(1.1)
For a p-type semiconductor, the Fermi potential can also be expressed as,
---------(1.2)
Whereas for an n-type semiconductor (doped with a donor concentration ND), the
Fermi potential is written as,
-------------(1.3)
Here, k denotes the Boltzmann constant; q denotes the unit (electron) charge.
The Fermi potential is positive voltage in case of n-type material and negative voltage
for p-type material. To understand the energy band diagram of MOS system following
two important terms is defined as follows.
• The electron affinity (qΧ)of silicon is defined as the energy required for an
electron to move from the conduction band into free space.
• The work function (Фs), is defined as the energy required for an electron to
move from the Fermi level into free space is called the work function Фs, and
is given by,
Now when MOS structure is fabricated (in a fabrication lab) as shown in Fig.1.1
following physical phenomena, occur due to the work-function difference between
metal and semiconductor layers.
• The Fermi levels of all three materials line-up.
• The line-up process results in a built in voltage drop across MOS system
(material layer lying at higher energy level gives out its energy results in a
voltage drop).
• Part of this built-in voltage drop occurs across the insulating oxide layer and the
rest of the voltage drop (potential difference) occurs at the silicon surface next
to the silicon-oxide interface.
• This forces the energy bands of silicon to bend downward near the surface while
the bulk Fermi levels are unaffected.
If a voltage corresponding to work function difference between metal and p type silicon
is applied externally between the gate and the substrate, the bending of the energy bands
near the surface can be compensated. The amount of corrective voltage needs to be
applied to flatten the bands is called flat-band voltage.
Fig.1.5A cross section view of MOS structure and energy band diagram in accumulation region
Fig.1.6 A cross section view of MOs structure and energy band diagram in depletion region
The majority carriers, i.e., the holes in the substrate, will be repelled back into the
substrate as a result of the positive gate bias, and these holes will leave negatively
charged fixed acceptor ions behind. Thus, a depletion region is created near the surface.
Note that under this bias condition, the region near the semiconductor-oxide interface
is nearly devoid of all mobile carriers.
----------(1.5)
3. VG: large positive corresponds to inversion.
To complete our discussion of different gate bias conditions and their effects upon the
MOS system, next case is further increase in the positive gate bias. As a result of the
increasing surface potential VG in positive direction, the minority carriers (electrons)
in the p type silicon substrate tend together at si-sio2 interface.
Fig.1.7 A cross section view of MOs structure and energy band diagram in strong
inversion region
When the electron concentration is greater than hole concentration at si-sio2 interface,
the surface of p type silicon is converted in to n-type. This tends to increase the
downward bending further at the surface. The n-type region created at si-sio2 surface
by the positive gate bias is called the surface inversion layer, and this condition is
called surface inversion. It will be seen that the thin inversion layer on the surface with
a large mobile electron concentration can be utilized for conducting current between
two terminals of the MOS transistor
1.5 MOSFET structure and operation of MOS transistor
The basic structure of an n-channel MOSFET is shown in Fig. 1.8. This four-terminal
device consists of a p-type substrate, in which two n+ diffusion regions, the drain and
the source formed. The surface of the substrate region between the drain and the source
is converted with a thin oxide layer, and the metal (or poly silicon) gate is deposited on
top of this gate dielectric. The midsection of the device can easily be recognized as the
A conducting channel is formed through applied gate voltage in the section of the
device between the drain and the source diffusion regions. The distance between the
drain and source diffusion regions is the channel length L, and the lateral extent of the
channel (perpendicular to the length dimension) is the channel width W. Both the
charnel length and the channel width are important parameters which can be used to
control some of the electrical properties of the MOSFET. The thickness of the oxide
layer covering the channel region, tox, is also an important parameter.
• A MOS transistor which has no conducting channels at zero gate bias an
enhancement-type MOSFET.
• If a conducting channel already exists at zero gate bias the device is called a
depletion-type MOSFET.
In a MOSFET with p-type substrate and with n+ source and drain regions, the channel
region to be formed on the surface is n-type. Thus, such a device with p-type substrate
is called an n-channel MOSFET. In a MOSFET with n-type substrate and with p+
source and drain regions, on the other hand, the channel is p-type and the device is
called a p-channel MOSFET.
• The abbreviations used for the device terminals are: G for the gate, D for the
drain s for the source, and B for the substrate (or body).
• In an n-channel MOSFET, the source is defined as n region which has a lower
potential than the other n region namely drain. By convention, all terminal
voltages of the device are defined with respect to the source potential.
• The gate-to-source voltage is denoted by VGS, the drain-to-source voltage is
denoted by VDS, and the substrate-to-source voltage is denoted by VBS. Circuit
symbols for both n-channel and p-channel enhancement-type MOSFETs are
shown in Fig. 1.9.
.
The n-channel enhancement-type MOSFET is biased in depletion, linear and saturation
mode as shown in Fig: 1.10(a),(b),(c). Here we require two batteries VGS and VDS. The
source, the drain, and the substrate terminals are all connected to ground. A positive
gate-to-source voltage VGSis then applied to the gate in order to create the conducting
channel below the gate oxide layer SiO2.
The value of the gate-to-source voltage VGS needed to cause surface inversion (to create
the conducting channel) is called the threshold voltage VTO. Any gate- to-source voltage
smaller than VT0 is not sufficient to establish an inversion layer; thus, the MOSFET can
conduct no current between its source and drain terminals unless VGS >VTO.The device
is held in depletion for this condition as shown in fig.1.10(a).
For gate-to-source voltages larger than the threshold voltage, on the other hand, a larger
number of minority carriers (electrons) are attracted to the surface, which ultimately
contributes to channel current conduction. Also note that increasing the gate to-source
voltage above and beyond the threshold voltage will not affect the surface potential and
the depletion region depth. Both quantities will remain approximately constant and
equal to their values attained at the surface inversion.
Now if the drain is biased positive with respect to source ,the induced channel provides
an electrical connection between the two n+ regions, and it allows current flow, as long
as there is a potential difference between the source and the drain terminal voltages as
shown Fig.1.10(b).
The electron velocity, in the channel for this case is usually much lower than the drift
velocity limit. Note that as the drain voltage is increased, the inversion layer charge and
the channel depth at the drain end start to decrease. Eventually, for VDS = VDSAT, the
inversion charge at the drain is reduced to zero, which is called the pinch-off point
.When the source voltage is equal to drain voltage conducting channel at the drain
pinch-off(VGS-VT =VD.Thus, in linear region operation, the channel region acts as a
voltage-controlled resistor S). If VDS in further increased i.e VGS-VT<VDS condition is
reached and the pinch off point shift toward source side. the effective channel length
reduces due to this and the device is held in saturation mode.
------(1.14)
Also, it is assumed that the entire channel region between the source and the drain is
inverted, i.e.,
--------(1.15)
The channel current (drain current) IDis due to the electrons in the channel region
travelling from the source to the drain under the influence of the lateral electric field
component Ey(VDS). Since the current flow in the channel is primarily governed by the
lateral drift of the mobile electron charge in the surface inversion layer, we will consider
the amount and the bias-voltage dependence of this inversion layer in more detail. Let
Q(y) be the total mobile electron charge in the surface inversion layer. This charge can
be expressed as a function of the gate-to-source voltage VGSand of the channel voltage
V(y) as follows:
---------(1.16)
Figure 1.16 shows the spatial geometry of the surface inversion layer and indicates its
significant dimensions. Note that the thickness of the inversion layer tapers off as we
move from the source to the drain, since the gate-to-channel voltage causing surface
inversion is smaller at the drain end.
Now consider the incremental resistance dRof the differential channel segment shown
in Fig. 1.16. Assuming that all mobile electrons in the inversion layer have a constant
surface mobility jun, the incremental resistance can be expressed as follows. Note that
the minus sign is due to the negative polarity of the inversion layer charge Q1.
We will assume that the channel current density is uniform across this segment.
According to our one-dimensional model, the channel (drain) current IDflows between
the source and the drain regions in the y-coordinate direction. Applying Ohm's law for
this segment yields the voltage drop along the incremental segment dy, in the y
direction.
----------(1.18)
This equation can now be integrated along the channel, i.e., from y = 0 to y = L, using
the boundary conditions given in.
------------(1.19)
The left-hand side of this equation is simply equal to L ID. The integral on the right-
hand side is evaluated by replacing Q1(y) with (1.27). Thus,
-----------(1.20)
Assuming that the channel voltage V, is the only variable in (1.31) that depends on
the position y, the drain current is found as follows.
---------------(1.22)
---------------(1.23)
where the parameters k and k' are defined as
---------------(1.24)
---------------(1.25)
The drain current equation given in (1.33) is the simplest analytical approximation for
the MOSFET current-voltage relationship. Note that, in addition to the process
dependent constants k' and V, the current-voltage relationship is also affected by the
device dimensions, W and L. In fact, we will see that the ratio of W/L is one of the most
important design parameters in MOS digital circuit design. Now, we must determine
the region of validityfor this equation and what this means for the practical use of the
equation.shows that the current equation (1.32) is not valid beyond the linear
region/saturation region boundary, i.e., for
----------(1.26)
Also, drain current measurements with constant VDSshow that the current IDdoes not
show much variation as a function of the drain voltage. VDSbeyond the saturation
boundary, but rather remains approximately constant around the peak value reached for
VDS = VDSATThis saturation drain current level can be found simply by substituting
(1.27) for VDSin (1.22).
-----------(1.27)
Thus, the drain current IDbecomes a function only of the gate-to-source voltage VGS,
beyond the saturation boundary. Note that this constant saturation current
approximation is not very accurate in reality, and that the saturation-region drain current
If the drain-to-source voltage VDSis increased beyond the saturation edge so that VDS>
VDSAT, an even larger portion of the channel becomes pinched-off. Consequently, the
effective channel length(the length of the inversion layer where GCA is still valid) is
reduced to, Note that this current equation corresponds to a MOSFET with effective
channel length L', operating in saturation. Thus, (1.29) accounts for the actual
shortening of the channel, also called channel length modulation as shown in
Fig.1.14.The current voltage characteristic is shown in Fig.1.15 with channel length
modulation effect.
---------(1.28)
---------(1.29)
----------(1.30)
Table 1.1 MOSFET dimensions, doping and Voltages affected by Full scaling
Short-Channel Effects
A MOS transistor is called a short-channel device if its channel length is of the same
order of magnitude as the depletion region thicknesses of the source and drain junctions.
Alternatively,
A MOSFET can be defined as a short-channel device if the effective channel length Leff
is approximately equal to the source and drain junction depth x.. The short-channel
effect causes two physical phenomena: (i) Mobility degradation, and (ii) the
modification of the threshold voltage due to the shortening channel length.
They as CGS and CGD = COX *W *LD Where COX is oxide capacitance W is width of
MOS transistor while LD is overlap length as shown in fig. below.
There is also a capacitance due to channel charge between gate and source drain region.
This capacitance is influenced by region of operation of MOS transistor as shown in
Table 1.5.
• When MOS is held in cut-off region i.e channel is absent.TheCgb (gate to bulk)
= COX *W *L
• When the MOS is held in linear mode Cgs = Cgd = 1/2 *COX *W *L
• When the MOS is held in saturation mode Cgs = 2/3 *COX *W *L
2. Junction Capacitances
The reverse bias PN junction between source / drain and body contribute parasitic
capacitances. This capacitance depends on area A and Perimeter P. Area = W*D while
perimeter P = 2*W+2*D. Total source/drain capacitance = A(S/D)*Cjbs+P(S/D)*Cjbssw,
where Cjbs=capacitance/area while Cjbssw= capacitance/length
Cjbs = CJ (1+VSB/ψo) –MJ where Cj is junction capacitance at zero bias, MJ is junction
grading coefficient ψo= υT (NA*ND)/ni2 and υT is thermal voltage.
Cjbssw = CJsw(1+VSB/ψo) –MJswCjbssw is junction sidewall capacitance at zero bias,MJsw
is junction grading co-efficient.
Fig.1.5 Approximate three oxide capacitance value for three operating regions.
Detailed Questions
1. Describe MOS system under external bias with the help of energy band diagram.
2. What is Gradual channel approximation? Discuss in detail.
3. Derive the expression of drain current Id in linear and saturation region.
4. Why do we use scaling? Explain the different types of scaling with their merits and
demerits.
5. Discuss short and narrow channel effects arise due to scaling.
6. Discuss MOS capacitance model with necessary detail.
7. Discuss channel length modulation and substrate bias effect in detail.
Brief Questions
1. Define “electron affinity” and “work function”.
2. What is surface potential?
3. Name the types of scaling.
4. Name types of parasitic capacitances in MOS.
5. Give the advantages of scaling.
6. Define “channel length modulation”.
7. Define substrate bias effect.