Channel width dependence of mechanical stress effects induced by shallow trench isolation on device performance of nanoscale nMOSFETs

Abstract

Channel width dependence of mechanical stress effects on a nanoscale n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor using the shallow trench isolation (STI) is investigated. The results indicate that the mechanical stress induced by the STI enhances mobility, off currents, and the impact ionization significantly. 841 MPa of tensile stress is extracted using the subthreshold current method. In addition, the off-state stress is measured at 125 degrees C, and the narrow width device is more seriously degraded than wide width devices. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.