A full-band Monte Carlo model for the temperature dependence of electron and hole transport in silicon

Abstract

A full-band Monte Carlo transport model for silicon is presented that achieves excellent quantitative agreement with the temperature, field, and crystal direction dependences of experimental electron and hole drift velocities from 20 to 500 K. The model is based on wave-vector-dependent phonon scattering rates, for which a unique set of only two empirical deformation potentials for each carrier type has been determined from the experiments. Numerical accuracy is obtained by a variable Brillouin zone discretization. We discuss discrepancies between different experimental low-field electron mobilities at 77 K showing that the value should be 26 100 cm2/(V s) instead of the often quoted 20 800 cm2/(V s). For holes, we show that the inclusion of inelastic intravalley acoustic phonons cannot be restricted to low temperatures, but is essential for a correct transport description even at room temperature.