Comparison of Different Scattering Mechanisms in the Ge (111), (110), and (100) Inversion Layers of nMOSFETs With Si nMOSFETs Under High Normal Electric Fields

Abstract

In this paper, we report, for the first time, that surface roughness scattering is not necessarily the dominant scattering mechanism in the high-normal-field region of Ge nMOSFETs. This statement is quite different from the well-recognized situation in Si MOSFETs. In Ge(100), phonon scattering is dominant in the high-field region. Thus, it is difficult to increase the high-normal-field mobility in Ge(100) nMOSFETs by controlling the interface roughness. In contrast, because Ge(111) and Ge(110) are free of intervalley phonon scattering, the high-field mobility in Ge(111) and Ge(110) nMOSFETs could be enhanced by the Ge interface engineering. Furthermore, different from that in Si nMOSFETs, mobility limited by surface roughness scattering in Ge nMOSFETs shows a strong temperature dependence due to the valley occupancy change of electrons. The results in this paper should facilitate efforts to increase the high-normal-field mobility in Ge nMOSFETs.