Comprehensive Investigation on Electrical Properties of nLDMOS and pLDMOS Under Mechanical Strain

Abstract

In this paper, we have comprehensively studied the performance boosts of both nLDMOS and pLDMOS under the mechanical strain. The electrical properties of LDMOS under the uniaxial tensile and compressive strains along the channel direction are examined thoroughly. We find that the uniaxial tensile strain benefits the nLDMOS, and the uniaxial compressive strain benefits the pLDMOS. Because the mechanical strain affects carriers' transportation in bulk Si and inverted channel distinctly, the strain effects are strongly correlated with the gate voltage, drain voltage, and devices' dimensions. It is found that the LDMOS with the longer gate length is more preferred for the strain. The piezoresistance coefficients of both nLDMOS and pLDMOS under the uniaxial strain are evaluated for the first time. It is also shown that the mechanical strain can enhance the drain current without the degradation of the breakdown voltage, which suggests a downshift of the ON-resistance versus breakdown voltage curve.