Improved universal MOSFET electron mobility degradation models for circuit simulation

Abstract

Based on the physical insights provided by the universal mobility curve, an improved comprehensive universal model for effective electron mobility in inversion layers of n-channel MOSFETs is developed for circuit simulation. This model expresses the effective electron mobility at room temperature as a function of effective vertical field. It exhibits a high degree of accuracy for a wide range of different device characteristics, such as channel doping levels, gate oxide thicknesses, and channel dimensions. In addition, it predicts very well the effective mobility under the effects of substrate biases for gate voltages well above threshold, which is an improvement over earlier models. Moreover, this model has been developed with an emphasis on the functional dependence of mobility on high effective field, and is thus particularly accurate in that range of effective field. This is a significant advantage of the model since today's submicrometer MOSFETs typically operate at high effective fields. >