Quantum-Corrected Monte Carlo and Molecular Dynamics Simulation on Electron-Density-Dependent Velocity Saturation in Silicon Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors

Abstract

The effects of electron–electron Coulomb scattering on electron quantum transport under high electric fields in silicon metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) has been studied based on a quantum-corrected Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulation, where the electron–electron Coulomb interaction is split into short-range and long-range interactions. The short-range interaction is included using a molecular dynamics approach, while the long-range electron–plasmon interaction is treated in two different ways: an analytical model based on quantum mechanics, and a numerical model within semiclassical treatment. The electron velocity in the inversion layer was calculated as a function of tangential electric field using a high-resistive gate MOSFET and compared with the experimental results reported by Takagi et al., which indicated that the saturation velocity depends on surface electron concentration. The analytical model for describing the long-range interaction qualitatively agrees with the experimental results in the high electric field regime. We also evaluated the role of the plasmon scattering and short-range Coulomb scattering.