Fixed Charge Qf Research Articles

Working principle and characteristic analysis of SiC MOSFET

Power semiconductor devices are frequently used in the electronic and power industries. As the third-generation broadband gap power semiconductor devices, silicon carbide devices have attracted extensive attention. This paper introduces the internal and external structure of SiC MOSFET in detail and analyzes the basic working principle of SiC MOSFET and the electrical characteristics of each stage in the conductive process. By analyzing the theoretical calculation method of threshold voltage under body effect and the relationship diagram drawn by specific experimental test results, it is proved that the increase of body effect will lead to the decrease of the threshold voltage. Two main reasons for BTI characteristics are explained: the energy band shift of the SiC/SiO2 interface is small, and there are many charge traps at SiC/SiO2 interface. Finally, the theoretical calculation method of threshold voltage and the influence principle of threshold voltage drift caused by SiC/SiO2 interface charge: interface trap Qit, oxide trap Qot, movable ion Qm and fixed charge Qf are analyzed. The research on the basic principle and important characteristics of SiC MOSFET in this paper have important reference significance for improving the reliability of SiC MOSFET devices.

Ionic Coulomb blockade and the determinants of selectivity in the NaChBac bacterial sodium channel

Mutation-induced transformations of conductivity and selectivity in NaChBac bacterial channels are studied experimentally and interpreted within the framework of ionic Coulomb blockade (ICB), while also taking account of resonant quantised dehydration (QD) and site protonation. Site-directed mutagenesis and whole-cell patch-clamp experiments are used to investigate how the fixed charge Qf at the selectivity filter (SF) affects both valence selectivity and same-charge selectivity. The new ICB/QD model predicts that increasing ∣Qf∣ should lead to a shift in selectivity sequences toward larger ion sizes, in agreement with the present experiments and with earlier work. Comparison of the model with experimental data leads to the introduction of an effective charge Qf∗ at the SF, which was found to differ between Aspartate and Glutamate charged rings, and also to depend on position within the SF. It is suggested that protonation of the residues within the restricted space of the SF is important in significantly reducing the effective charge of the EEEE ring. Values of Qf∗ derived from experiments on divalent blockade agree well with expectations based on the ICB/QD model and have led to the first demonstration of ICB oscillations in Ca2+ conduction as a function of the fixed charge. Preliminary studies of the dependence of Ca2+ conduction on pH are qualitatively consistent with the predictions of the model.

Tercer injerto hepático: ¿hasta dónde deberíamos llegar?

Mutation-induced transformations of conductivity and selectivity in NaChBac bacterial channels are studied experimentally and interpreted within the framework of ionic Coulomb blockade (ICB), while also taking account of resonant quantised dehydration (QD) and site protonation. Site-directed mutagenesis and whole-cell patch-clamp experiments are used to investigate how the fixed charge Qf at the selectivity filter (SF) affects both valence selectivity and same-charge selectivity. The new ICB/QD model predicts that increasing ∣Qf∣ should lead to a shift in selectivity sequences toward larger ion sizes, in agreement with the present experiments and with earlier work. Comparison of the model with experimental data leads to the introduction of an effective charge Qf∗ at the SF, which was found to differ between Aspartate and Glutamate charged rings, and also to depend on position within the SF. It is suggested that protonation of the residues within the restricted space of the SF is important in significantly reducing the effective charge of the EEEE ring. Values of Qf∗ derived from experiments on divalent blockade agree well with expectations based on the ICB/QD model and have led to the first demonstration of ICB oscillations in Ca2+ conduction as a function of the fixed charge. Preliminary studies of the dependence of Ca2+ conduction on pH are qualitatively consistent with the predictions of the model.

Ionic Coulomb blockade and anomalous mole fraction effect in the NaChBac bacterial ion channel and its charge-varied mutants

Background. The selectivity of biological cation channels is defined by a short, narrow selectivity filter, having a negative net fixed charge Qf . Voltage gated bacterial channels (NaChBac and some others) are frequently used in biophysics as simplified models of mammalian calcium and sodium channels. We report an experimental, analytic and numerical study of the effects of Qf and bulk ionic concentrations of Ca2+ and Na+ on conduction and selectivity of NaChBac channels, wild type and Qf -varied mutants. Methods. Site-directed mutagenesis and voltage clamp recordings were used to investigate the Na+ /Ca2+ selectivity, divalent blockade and anomalous mole fraction effect (AMFE) for different NaChBac wild type/mutants channels and the properties dependence on Qf . Experimental results were compared with Brownian dynamics simulations and with analytic predictions of the ionic Coulomb blockade (ICB) model, which was extended to encompass bulk concentration effects. Results. It was shown that changing of Qf from –4e (for LESWAS wild type) to –8e (for LEDWAS mutant) leads to strong divalent blockade of the Na+ current by micromolar amounts of Ca2+ ions, similar to the effects seen in mammalian calcium channels. The BD simulations revealed a concentration-related logarithmic shift of the conduction bands. These results were shown to be consistent with ICB model predictions. Conclusions. The extended ICB model explains the experimental (divalent blockade and AMFE) and simulated (multi-ion bands and their concentration-related shifts) selectivity phenomena of NaChBac channel and its charge-varied mutants. These results extend the understanding of ion channel selectivity and may also be applicable to biomimetic nanopores with charged walls.

Effect of PECVD SiNx/SiOyNx–Si interface property on surface passivation of silicon wafer**Project supported by the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. 2015AA050302) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61306076).

It is studied in this paper that the electrical characteristics of the interface between SiOyNx/SiNx stack and silicon wafer affect silicon surface passivation. The effects of precursor flow ratio and deposition temperature of the SiOyNx layer on interface parameters, such as interface state density Dit and fixed charge Qf, and the surface passivation quality of silicon are observed. Capacitance–voltage measurements reveal that inserting a thin SiOyNx layer between the SiNx and the silicon wafer can suppress Qf in the film and Dit at the interface. The positive Qf and Dit and a high surface recombination velocity in stacks are observed to increase with the introduced oxygen and minimal hydrogen in the SiOyNx film increasing. Prepared by deposition at a low temperature and a low ratio of N2O/SiH4 flow rate, the SiOyNx/SiNx stacks result in a low effective surface recombination velocity (Seff) of 6 cm/s on a p-type 1 Ω·cm–5 Ω·cm FZ silicon wafer. The positive relationship between Seff and Dit suggests that the saturation of the interface defect is the main passivation mechanism although the field-effect passivation provided by the fixed charges also make a contribution to it.

Comparison of hydrolytic and non-hydrolytic atomic layer deposition chemistries: Interfacial electronic properties at alumina-silicon interfaces

We report the differences in the passivation and electronic properties of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) deposited on silicon via traditional hydrolytic atomic layer deposition (ALD) and non-hydrolytic (NH) ALD chemistries. Traditional films were grown using trimethylaluminum (TMA) and water and NHALD films grown using TMA and isopropanol at 300 °C. Hydrolytically grown ALD films contain a smaller amount of fixed charge than NHALD films (oxide fixed charge Qf Traditional = −8.1 × 1011 cm−2 and Qf NHALD = −3.6 × 1012 cm−2), and a larger degree of chemical passivation than NHALD films (density of interface trap states, Dit Traditional = 5.4 × 1011 eV−1 cm−2 and Dit NHALD = 2.9 × 1012 eV−1 cm−2). Oxides grown with both chemistries were found to have a band gap of 7.1 eV. The conduction band offset was 3.21 eV for traditionally grown films and 3.38 eV for NHALD. The increased Dit for NHALD films may stem from carbon impurities in the oxide layer that are at and near the silicon surface, as evidenced by both the larger trap state time constant (τTraditional = 2.2 × 10−9 s and τNHALD = 1.7 × 10−7 s) and the larger carbon concentration. We have shown that the use of alcohol-based oxygen sources in NHALD chemistry can significantly affect the resulting interfacial electronic behavior presenting an additional parameter for understanding and controlling interfacial electronic properties at semiconductor-dielectric interfaces.

Coulomb blockade model of permeation and selectivity in biological ion channels

Biological ion channels are protein nanotubes embedded in, and passing through, the bilipid membranes of cells. Physiologically, they are of crucial importance in that they allow ions to pass into and out of cells, fast and efficiently, though in a highly selective way. Here we show that the conduction and selectivity of calcium/sodium ion channels can be described in terms of ionic Coulomb blockade in a simplified electrostatic and Brownian dynamics model of the channel. The Coulomb blockade phenomenon arises from the discreteness of electrical charge, the strong electrostatic interaction, and an electrostatic exclusion principle. The model predicts a periodic pattern of Ca2+ conduction versus the fixed charge Qf at the selectivity filter (conduction bands) with a period equal to the ionic charge. It thus provides provisional explanations of some observed and modelled conduction and valence selectivity phenomena, including the anomalous mole fraction effect and the calcium conduction bands. Ionic Coulomb blockade and resonant conduction are similar to electronic Coulomb blockade and resonant tunnelling in quantum dots. The same considerations may also be applicable to other kinds of channel, as well as to charged artificial nanopores.

Electrical Properties of $\hbox{Ga}_{2}\hbox{O}_{3}/ \hbox{GaAs}$ Interfaces and GdGaO Dielectrics in GaAs-Based MOSFETs

Electrical properties of Ga2O3/GaAs interfaces with GdGaO cap dielectrics used in recent enhancement-mode GaAs-based NMOSFETs which perform in line with theoretical model predictions are presented. Capacitors with GdGaO thickness ranging from 3.0 to 18 nm (0.9 les EOT les 3.9 nm) have been characterized by capacitance-voltage measurements. Midgap interface state density Dit, effective workfunction phim, fixed charge Qf, dielectric constant kappa, and low field leakage current density are 2 times1011 cm-2 middoteV-1, 4.93 eV, -8.9 times1011 cm-2, 19.5, and 10-9- 10-8 A/cm2, respectively. The presence of interfacial Gd was confirmed to dramatically degrade electrical interface properties. The data illuminate the intimate interplay between heterostructure and interface engineering to achieve optimum MOSFET operation.

Dependence of Analog and Digital Performances on Mechanical Film Stress of ILD Layers in Nanoscale CMOSFETs

In this study, film-stress-induced device performance variation is characterized in terms of digital and analog performances. Interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers such as PECVD Si3N4 and LPCVD SiON with different stress-affected saturation currents and off-state leakage currents are investigated extensively. To further analyze stress effects, the film stress of PECVD Si3N4 is varied from compressive stress to tensile stress. It is shown that tensile stress improved NMOS performance through the decrease of interface state density (Dit) and the increase of carrier mobility. In the case of PMOS with highly tensile stress, the mobility is decreased due to the increase of Dit. The oxide fixed charge Qf of PMOS is also reduced evidently by the tensile stress film.

The nature of intrinsic hole traps in thermal silicon dioxide

The energy and spatial distribution of intrinsic hole traps in dry thermal silicon dioxide have been determined. Thermal detrapping was used for the determination of energy levels of the traps and the etch-back technique was used to find the spatial location of the traps. These traps are distributed in energy from 1.0 to 1.5 eV with respect to the valence band edge of the silicon dioxide. Their centroid is located at approximately 120 Å from the Si–SiO2 interface. Results of various postoxidation annealing treatments show that the density of traps is significantly dependent on the process conditions. Like fixed charge Qf, these traps seem to be related to the lattice imperfections in SiO2 near the interface; however, the hole trap density and Qf vary in opposite directions due to the process changes. N2 annealing increases the trap density and O2 annealing, which reduces the hole trap density, increases the electron trap density in SiO2. Based on these results we support the trivalent silicon model for the traps and we postulate that nonbridging oxygen acts as an electron trap in SiO2. These results also support Raider and Berman’s model for fixed charge Qf.