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ECE606: Solid State Devices

Lecture 35: MOSFET I-V Characteristics (I)
Muhammad Ashraful Alam
alam@purdue.edu

Alam ECE-606 S09 1

Topic Map

Equilibrium DC Small Large Circuits

signal Signal
Diode

Schottky

BJT/HBT

MOSCAP
MOSFET

Alam ECE-606 S09 2

Outline

1. Introduction

2. Sub-threshold (depletion) current

3. Super-threshold, inversion current

4. Conclusion

Alam ECE-606 S09 3

 Subthreshold Region (VG < Vth)

G
S D

n+ n+
p

∆n

EC

EV
y
4
 Subthreshold Region (VG < Vth)
Q1 − Q2
I D = qDn
Lch
 
= q
D
W × Winv × (
ni2 qψ s β
e )
−1 
Lch  N A 

≈ qWWinv e (
D ni2 qVG β / m
−1 )
Q1 Lch N A
∆n Q2
ln ID
EC
Subthreshold
EV y slope
y Ψs or VG/m
5
Recall the definition of body coefficient (m)

VG
m= (1 + CS CO )
CO
‘Body Effect Coefficient’ ψS
CS
m= (1 + κ S xO κ 0WT )
in practice:
CO VG
1.1 ≤ m ≤ 1.4 =ψS VG ≡
CO + CS m

Alam ECE-606 S09 6

Outline

1. Introduction

2. Sub-threshold (depletion) current

3. Super-threshold, inversion current

4. Conclusion

Alam ECE-606 S09 7

Post-Threshold MOS Current (VG>Vth)

VDS
W
ID = −
Lch
µeff ∫ Q (V ) dV
0
i

1) Square Law −CG [VG − VT − V ) ]

Qi (V ) =
 2qε Si N A ( 2φB + V ) 
2) Bulk Charge Qi (V ) =−CG  VG − VFB − 2ψ B − V − 
 CO 
 
3) Simplified Bulk Charge −CG [VG − VT − mV ) ]
Qi (V ) =

4) “Exact” (Pao-Sah or Pierret-Shields)

Alam ECE-606 S09 8

Effect of Gate Bias

S G D
WD WDM
VGS

n+ n+
VGS > VT
y
P
VBI 2ψ B

Gated doped or p-MOS with adjacent n+ region

a) gate biased at flat-band
b) gate biased in inversion
A. Grove, Physics of Semiconductor Devices, 1967.
9
The Effect of Drain Bias
2D band diagram for an n-MOSFET

a) device

b) equilibrium (flat band)

c) equilibrium (ψS > 0)

d) non-equilibrium with VG and VD

>0 applied

SM. Sze, Physics of Semiconductor

Devices, 1981 and Pao and Sah.
FN
Alam ECE-606 S09 10
 Effect of a Reverse Bias at Drain
WD WDM

VR VR VR VGS > VT (VR )

VBI + VR ψ S = 2ψ B + VR

Gated doped or p-MOS with adjacent, reverse-biased n+ region

a) gate biased at flat-band
b) gate biased in depletion
b) gate biased in inversion
A. Grove, Physics of Semiconductor Devices, 1967.
Alam ECE-606 S09 11
 S G D Inversion Charge in the Channel

n+ n+
Qi =
−Cox (VG − Vth − V )
P + qN A (WT (V ) − WT (V =
0))
B

VG=0 VG=0 VG>0

VD=0 VD>0 VD>0
VB VB
V
VD

Alam ECE-606 S09 12

 Inversion Charge at one point in Channel

V
VG VB
VG VD

qN AWT (V = 0)
Vth = 2φF − V = ( 2φF + V ) −
* qN AWT (V )
Cox th
Cox

qN A (WT (V ) − WT (V = 0) )
V = Vth + V −
*
th
Cox

Qi =
−Cox (VG − Vth* )
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 Approximations for Inversion Charge

Qi = A (WT (V ) − WT (V =
−CO (VG − Vth − V ) + q N 0) )

−CO (VG − Vth − V ) +  2qκ S ε o N A ( 2φB + V ) − 2qκ S ε o N A ( 2φB ) 

=
 

Approximations:
Qi ≈ −Cox (VG − Vth − V ) Square law approximation …

Qi ≈ −Cox (VG − Vth − mV ) Simplified bulk charge approximation …

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The MOSFET

S G D
VS = 0 VD > 0

n+ n+

B Fn = Fp − qVD
Fn = Fp = EF
Fn increasingly negative from source to drain
(reverse bias increases from source to drain)

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Elements of Square-law Theory
VG
0 VD>0

GCA : Ey << Ex

VG V VG

−Cox [VG − Vth − mV ( y ) ]

Qi ( y ) =
Alam ECE-606 S09 16
 Another view of Channel Potential

Source Drain

N+ N+
P-doped
x

EC
FP FP FP EF
EV
FN
FN FN

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= 1 µ E1
J1 Q= Q1 µ
dV Square Law Theory
dy 1

dV
= 2 µ E2
J 2 Q= Q2 µ
dy VG
2 0 VD>0
dV
= 3 µ E3
J 3 Q= Q3 µ
dy 3

dV
= 4 µ E4
J 4 Q= Q4 µ
dy 4

Q
J i dy Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
∑
i 1,=
N µ
i 1, N
= ∑ Qi dV
VD
JD
µ
∑=
dy ∫ C
i =1, N
ox (VG − Vth − mV )dV V
0

VD
µCox  VD  2
J=
D (VG − Vth )VD − m 
Lch  2  18
 Square Law or Simplified Bulk Charge Theory
µCox  VD 2 
=
ID W (VG − Vth )VD − m 
Lch  2 

(VG − Vth ) − mVD ⇒ VD , sat =(VG* − Vth ) m

dI D
=0=
dV
VDSAT = (VGS − VT ) / m
ID W µCo
= (VG − VT )
2
ID
2mLch
VGS
µCox  VD 2 
J=
D (VG − Vth )VD − m 
Lch  2 

VDS
W
ID µ Co (VG − VT )VD
L Alam ECE-606 S09 19
 Why does the curve roll over?

W µCo Qi ≈ −Cox (VG − Vth − mV )

= ( G T)
−
2
ID V V
2mLch

VDSAT = (VGS − VT ) / m
VG
0 VD>0
ID

VGS

VDS
loss of inversion
Alam ECE-606 S09 20
Linear Region (Low VDS)

W
VDS small
=I D µ Co (VG − VT )VD
Lch Actual
ID VDS
=
RCH
Mobility degradation
Slope gives mobility
at high VGS

VT VGS
Subthreshold
Conduction Intercept gives VT

Alam ECE-606 S09 21

Summary

1) MOSFET differs from MOSCAP in that the field from the

S/D contacts now causes a current to flow.
2) Two regimes, diffusion-dominated Subthreshold and
drift-dominated super-threshold characteristics, define
the ID-VD-VG characteristics of a MOSFET.
3) The simple bulk charge theory allows calculation of drain
currents and provide many insights, but there are
important limitations of the theory as well.

Alam ECE-606 S09 22