RF Small-Signal and Noise Modeling Including Parameter Extraction of Nanoscale MOSFET From Weak to Strong Inversion

The downscaling of CMOS processes has led to devices with an impressive RF performance. Advanced nanoscale RF MOSFETs present very high transit frequency, which can be traded off with lower power consumption, by shifting the operating point towards the weak inversion (WI) regime. This paper explores whether the simple RF schematics and models used in strong inversion remain valid in moderate or even down to deep WI regions for nanoscale devices. A simple RF equivalent circuit is proposed, leading to first-order analytical expressions, which are able to describe the RF small-signal behavior of nanoscale MOSFET, including noise, across all inversion levels. Using these expressions it is possible to extract the values of all the RF components and noise model parameters directly from measurements. The analytical models are compared to RF measurements of a commercial state-of-the-art 40-nm CMOS process and to the advanced BSIM6 compact bulk MOSFET model, showing very good accuracy.

[1]  K. Aufinger,et al.  A Straightforward Noise De-Embedding Method and its Application to High-Speed Silicon Bipolar Transistors , 1996, ESSDERC '96: Proceedings of the 26th European Solid State Device Research Conference.

[2]  Antonios Bazigos,et al.  High‐frequency scalable compact modelling of Si RF‐CMOS technology , 2008 .

[3]  Angelos Antonopoulos,et al.  CMOS Small-Signal and Thermal Noise Modeling at High Frequencies , 2013, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[4]  Christian Enz,et al.  An MOS transistor model for RF IC design valid in all regions of operation , 2002 .

[5]  Ulrich L. Rohde,et al.  A general noise de-embedding procedure for packaged two-port linear active devices , 1992 .

[6]  Angelos Antonopoulos,et al.  CMOS RF noise, scaling, and compact modeling for RFIC design , 2013, 2013 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium (RFIC).

[7]  Peter Russer,et al.  An efficient method for computer aided noise analysis of linear amplifier networks , 1976 .

[8]  C. Su,et al.  Interfacial gate resistance in Schottky-barrier-gate field-effect transistors , 1998 .

[9]  Y. Deval,et al.  A 60µW LNA for 2.4 GHz wireless sensors network applications , 2011, 2011 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.

[10]  M.J. Deen,et al.  MOSFET modeling for RF IC design , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[11]  Sebastien Jan,et al.  4-Port isolated MOS modeling and extraction for mmW applications , 2012, 2012 Proceedings of the European Solid-State Device Research Conference (ESSDERC).

[12]  Daniel Gloria,et al.  RF and broadband noise investigation in High‐k/Metal Gate 28‐nm CMOS bulk transistor , 2014 .

[13]  J. Rollett,et al.  The Measurement of Transistor Unilateral Gain , 1965 .

[14]  Christian C. Enz,et al.  Low-power RF modeling of a 40nm CMOS technology using BSIM6 , 2013, Proceedings of the 20th International Conference Mixed Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems - MIXDES 2013.

[15]  Guo-Wei Huang,et al.  Comprehensive Noise Characterization and Modeling for 65-nm MOSFETs for Millimeter-Wave Applications , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques.

[16]  J.A.M. Geelen,et al.  An improved de-embedding technique for on-wafer high-frequency characterization , 1991, Proceedings of the 1991 Bipolar Circuits and Technology Meeting.

[17]  D. Gloria,et al.  Small signal and HF noise performance of 45 nm CMOS technology in mmW range , 2011, 2011 IEEE Radio Frequency Integrated Circuits Symposium.

[18]  N. Fel,et al.  A New Approach for SOI Devices Small-Signal Parameters Extraction , 2000 .

[19]  Ming-Jer Chen,et al.  A Novel Method of MOSFET Series Resistance Extraction Featuring Constant Mobility Criteria and Mobility Universality , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[20]  Correlation Noise Measurements and Modeling of Nanoscale MOSFETs , 2004 .

[21]  D. Gloria,et al.  Small Signal and Noise Equivalent Circuit for CMOS 65 nm up to 110 GHz , 2008, 2008 38th European Microwave Conference.

[22]  G.D.J. Smit,et al.  FinFET compact modelling for analogue and RF applications , 2010, 2010 International Electron Devices Meeting.

[23]  R. Havens,et al.  Noise modeling for RF CMOS circuit simulation , 2003 .

[24]  Ali M. Niknejad,et al.  BSIM6: Analog and RF Compact Model for Bulk MOSFET , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[25]  Christian C. Enz,et al.  Accurate RF modeling of nanoscale MOSFET using BSIM6 including low levels of inversion , 2014, Microelectron. J..

[26]  E. Vittoz,et al.  Charge-Based MOS Transistor Modeling , 2006 .

[27]  Francois Danneville,et al.  A new method for on wafer noise measurement , 1993 .

[28]  H. Iwai,et al.  Modeling and characterization of radio-frequency characteristics of multi-finger nanometer MOS transistors , 2009, 2009 IEEE International Conference of Electron Devices and Solid-State Circuits (EDSSC).

[29]  M. Deen,et al.  Extraction of the induced gate noise, channel noise, and their correlation in submicron MOSFETs from RF noise measurements , 2001 .

[30]  Yong Zhong Xiong,et al.  RF Noise of 65-nm MOSFETs in the Weak-to-Moderate-Inversion Region , 2009, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[31]  Suet Fong Tin,et al.  Substrate network modeling for CMOS RF circuit simulation , 1999, Proceedings of the IEEE 1999 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (Cat. No.99CH36327).

[32]  Gerard Ghibaudo,et al.  A New Technique to Extract the Source/Drain Series Resistance of MOSFETs , 2009, IEEE Electron Device Letters.

[33]  M.J. Deen,et al.  Analytical modeling of MOSFETs channel noise and noise parameters , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[34]  Christian Enz,et al.  Charge-Based MOS Transistor Modeling: The EKV Model for Low-Power and RF IC Design , 2006 .

[35]  Ramses van der Toorn,et al.  RF-Noise Modeling in Advanced CMOS Technologies , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices.

[36]  Dominique Schreurs,et al.  Microwave noise modeling of FinFETs , 2011 .

[37]  M.J. Deen,et al.  Analytical Determination of MOSFET's High-Frequency Noise Parameters From NF$_{50}$ Measurements and Its Application in RFIC Design , 2007, IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

[38]  A. Lipparini,et al.  Computer-Aided Noise Analysis of Linear Multiport Networks of Arbitrary Topology , 1985 .

[39]  Yann Deval,et al.  Design methodology for ultra low-power analog circuits using next generation BSIM6 MOSFET compact model , 2013, Microelectron. J..

[40]  A. van der Ziel,et al.  Noise in solid-state devices and lasers , 1970 .