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TransistorSecondOrderEffects

ChannelLengthModulation:

Therearesomesubtletiestotheoperationofthetransistorinthesaturationregion.Thelengthofthechannelchangeswithchanging
valuesofVDS.AsthevalueofVDSisincreased,itcausesthedepletionregionoftheDrainjunctiontogrow.Thisreducesthelengthofthe
channelwhichimpactscurrent.Themodelcurrentequationmustbemodiedto

(h ps://pbalasundar.les.wordpress.com/2012/06/screenshot20120621at100040am.png)

Ingeneral, (h ps://pbalasundar.les.wordpress.com/2012/06/screenshot20120621at100438am.png)isproportionaltochannel
length.Theeectsofchannellengthmodulationbecomemorepronouncedforsmallerfeaturesizes.Thus,whenahighimpedancecurrent
sourceisrequired,longerchanneltransistorsareused.

VelocitySaturation:

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ForhighVDS,carriersexperiencehigherlateralelectricelds.Carriervelocityincreaseswithincreasinglateralelectricelds.However,
oncethecriticallateralelectriceldisreached,thevelocityofthecarriersdoesnotincreaseanyfurther.Thisiscausedbyanincreasedrate
ofcollisionandcarriersca ering.Thecurrentdoesnotincreaseattheexpectedrate.Rather,thecurrentincreasesveryli le,ifatall.

MobilityDegradation:

WithincreasingVGS,verticalelectriceldsincrease.Thisincreasecausesariseinthenumberofcarriercollisions,whichdegradescarrier
mobility.Thecurrentowingthroughthetransistoristhereforethanthatexpectedbytheidealmodels.Mobilitydecreaseswith
increasingtemperature.

ThresholdVoltage:

Thethresholdvoltageisthevalueofgatevoltage(VGS)atwhichstronginversionoccurs.Inotherwords,thisisthevoltageatwhichthe
transistorbeginstoconductcurrent.TheThresholdVoltagedependson:

Thicknessoftheoxidelayer
Chargeoftheimpuritiestrappedbetweenthesiliconandtheoxide
Dosageofionsimplantedforthresholdadjustment
SourcetoBulkVoltage

Thechannelstrengthandthethresholdvoltagecanbechangedthroughapplicationofappropriatevoltagetothebodyterminalofthe
MOSFET.Thisisknownasthebodyeect.

(h ps://pbalasundar.les.wordpress.com/2012/06/screenshot20120621at100142am.png)

Forgatevoltageslessthanthresholdvoltage,currentdropsoexponentiallyandasfeaturesizesdecreasethewayMOSFETsbehavein
thisregionbecomesimportant.ThetransistorconductssomecurrentbeforeVGS=Vt.Thisiscalledsubthresholdconduction.

ShortChannelEffects:

Forsmalltransistorsizes,thedepletionregionsofthesourceandthedrainjunctionsbecomerelativelymoreimportant.Thesedepletion 2/8
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Forsmalltransistorsizes,thedepletionregionsofthesourceandthedrainjunctionsbecomerelativelymoreimportant.Thesedepletion
regionscausepartofthechannelbelowthegatetobealreadydepletedandhenceasmallerthresholdvoltageisrequiredtocause
inversion.

ArelatedconsiderationistheeectthatVDShasonthethresholdvoltage.AsVDSrises,thedrainjunctiongetsincreasinglyreverse
biased.Thisincreasestheextenttowhichthedepletionregionextendsunderthegate.Sinceashorterchannelwillnowsucetoachieve
inversion,thethresholdvoltageisfoundtodecreasewithincreasingVDS.ThiseectisknownasDrainInducedBarrierLowering(DIBL).

Forhighenoughvaluesofdrainvoltage,thesourceanddrainregionscangetshortedtogetherinaneectcalledpunchthrough.Thismay
resultinpermanentdamagetothedevice.Fromacellperspective,DIBLmanifestsitselfasanoisesource.

NarrowChannelEffects:

Thedepletionregionofthechannelextendssomewhatundertheisolatingeldoxide(widthwise).Thegatevoltagemustsupportthis
extradepletionchargetosupportaconductingchannel.Theextragatevoltagerequiredcausesanincreaseinthresholdvoltage.Indevices
havingsimilarWandL(small),thismightcancelouttheeectthatshortchannelshaveonthresholdvoltages.(Dierentfromshort
channeleects)

Leakage:

ThesourceanddraindiusionsareinreversebiaswhenthedeviceisOFF,andsomeleakagecurrentowsthroughthesejunctions.This
canleadtopowerdissipationevenwhilethetransistorsarenotinuse.Aconsiderationthathasrecentlybecomeofsomesignicanceisthe
gateleakagecurrent.Electronstunnelthroughthegateoxideleadinggreaterpowerdissipationandsometimesevenincorrectoperation.
Thisisavoidedthroughtheuseofhighkdielectrics.

Thresholdvoltagedecreaseswithrisingtemperature.Thisimpactsperformance.

HighThresholdVoltage:Lowleakage,slowswitching
LowThresholdVoltage:Highleakage,fastswitching

TemperatureDependence:

CarrierMobility:Decreaseswithtemperature
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CarrierMobility:Decreaseswithtemperature
ThresholdVoltage:Decreaseswithtemperature
JunctionLeakage:Increaseswithtemperature
VelocitySaturation:Occurssoonerwithhighertemperature
Subthresholdconduction:Increasesexponentiallywithtemperature.Thismeansthatatlowtemperatures,lowerthresholdvoltages
canbeused

Mostwearoutmechanismsaretemperaturedependentsotransistorsaremorereliableatlowertemperatures.

HotCarrierEffects:

Thehotcarriereectcancausethethresholdvoltageofadevicetodriftovertime.Smallerdevicesmeanthatcarriersexperiencehigher
electricelds.Thisisbecausewhiledevicesizeshavescaled,powersignalvoltageshavenotscaledatthesamerate.Thesehighelectric
eldscancauseelectronstobecomehot.Theseelectronshaveveryhighenergy,andcantunnelintothegateoxide.Theseelectrons,
trappedinthegateoxide,cancauseariseintheVtofadevice.

Toavoidthis,designersusespeciallyengineereddrainandsourceregionstoensurethatthestrengthoftheelectriceldsarelimitedsoas
toavoidthegenerationofhotcarriers.

Electromigration:

Highcurrentdensitiescausemetalatomstomigrateovertimeinthedirectionofelectronow.Thiscausesawearoutofmetal
interconnect.ThisisparticularlysevereinaluminiumwiresbutthiscanbealleviatedbyusingAlCuorAlSialloys.Electromigrationis
notmuchofaproblemforCuwiring.

CMOSLatchup:

TheMOSprocesscontainsinherentbipolartransistorsthatcanbeparticularlytroublesomeiftheyformthenpnparrangementofa
thyristor.TheycantriggerthyristorlikeactivityandresultintheshortingofVDDwithVSS.Theeectscanbeassevereasthedestruction
ofthechip,oratbestasystemfailurethatcanonlyberesolvedbyapowerdown.Thiscanbeavoidedby:

Providingnumerouswellandsubstratecontacts
Surrounddevicescarryingalotofcurrent,suchasI/Odrivers,withguardrings
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Surrounddevicescarryingalotofcurrent,suchasI/Odrivers,withguardrings

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June21,2012byPranayBalasundarCategories:CircuitDesign|Leaveacomment

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