Abstract
The current electronics industry has used the aggressive miniaturization of solid-state devices to meet future technological demands. The downscaling of characteristic device dimensions into the sub-10 nm regime causes them to fall below the electron–phonon scattering length, thereby resulting in a transition from quasi-ballistic to ballistic carrier transport. In this study, a well-established Monte Carlo model is employed to systematically investigate the effects of various parameters such as applied voltage, channel length, electrode lengths, electrode doping and initial temperature on the performance of nanoscale silicon devices. Interestingly, from the obtained results, the short channel devices are found to exhibit smaller heat generation, with a 2 nm channel device having roughly two-thirds the heat generation rate observed in an 8 nm channel device, which is attributed to reduced carrier scattering in the ballistic transport regime. Furthermore, the drain contacts of the devices are identified as critical design areas to ensure safe and efficient performance. The heat generation rate is observed to increase linearly with an increase in the applied electric field strength but does not change significantly with an increase in the initial temperature, despite a marked reduction in the electric current flowing through the device.
Highlights
In a solid-state device, charge carriers interact with the lattice vibrations of a material under an externally applied electric field
The Joule heating effect becomes more challenging in modern electronics due to the recent developments in micro- and nano-scale technologies
Dennard scaling, which postulates that the transistor power density remains constant as dimensions are reduced, broke down around 2006, meaning that the modern electronic components are unable to operate within the same power envelope [7,8]
Summary
In a solid-state device, charge carriers interact with the lattice vibrations (phonons) of a material under an externally applied electric field. The Joule heating in electronic devices is a significant hindrance to their safe functionality and efficient performance. It is vital for most of the electronic components, such as integrated circuits, microprocessors and control systems, to maintain the low operating temperatures (below ~85 ◦C) to ensure durability, stable operation and prevention of thermal hazards [3,4]. Dennard scaling, which postulates that the transistor power density remains constant as dimensions are reduced, broke down around 2006, meaning that the modern electronic components are unable to operate within the same power envelope [7,8]. The static power losses are a function of the device temperature, and directly depend upon the total dissipated power [9]
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