Modeling of Narrow-Width SOI Devices: The Role of Quantum Mechanical Narrow Channel Effects on Device Performance

The impact of quantum mechanical space-quantization effects on the operation of a narrow-width SOI device structure has been investigated. The presence of a two-dimensional carrier confinement (both vertical and along the width direction) gives rise to larger average displacement of the carriers from the interface and lower sheet electron density in the channel region. This, in turn, results not only in a significant increase in the threshold voltage but also in pronounced channel width dependency of the drain current. In these simulations we have used classical 3D Monte Carlo particle-based simulations. Quantum mechanical space-quantization effects have been accounted for via an effective potential scheme that has been quite successful in describing bandgap widening effect and charge set back from the interface in conventional MOSFET devices.