PHYSICAL

DESIGN FinFET Technology

Chankeerth

PHYSICAL DESIGN
MOSFET
Contents
• MOSFET
• MOSFET Limitations
• Short-channel Effects
• MOSFET vs FETs (Why do we need FinFETs)
• What is FinFET
• FinFET Advantages & Disadvantages

PHYSICAL DESIGN
MOSFET
Gate oxide
A MOSFET is either a core or
integrated circuit where it is
designed and fabricated in a single
chip because the device is
available in very small sizes. The
introduction of the MOSFET
device has brought a change in the
domain of switching in electronics Bulk

• Due to Oxide layer between gate and channel there is no presence of

gate current this creates more input impedance which further provides
increased switching speed for the device

• These devices can function at minimal power levels and uses minimal
current

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
MOSFET Limitations
• With the Continuous scaling down of the dimensions to micro or nano-
level arises huge physical problem in conventional MOSFETS

• It seems a tedious task to upgrade the output of these devices due to the
influence of short channel effect and abrupt rise in sub threshold leakage
current

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
Short-channel Effects
As the channel length of a MOSFET reduces, the short-channel effects
increases. There are five different distinguishable short-channel effects :
• Drain-induced barrier lowering
• Surface scattering
• Velocity saturation
• Impact ionization
• Hot electron effect

PHYSICAL DESIGN
Short-channel Effects
Drain-induced barrier lowering
• Incase the gate voltage is more than the threshold voltage then the
channel has to face the barrier that could block the flow of the charge
which could be removed only after increasing gate potential.

• Whereas in short channel devices these potential barriers are operated

by both Vgs and Vds, like if the drain voltage is raised the depletion
region also enlarges in size and expands below the gate resulting in low
potential barrier and flow of charge between source and drain.

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
Short-channel Effects
• The concept of drain reducing the channel barrier and degrading the
threshold voltage is called DIBL

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
Short-channel Effects
Surface scattering
• In short channel devices the
vertical electric field is almost
negligible as compared to
horizontal electric felid because
of which the charged electron
has to follows zigzag path which
is called as scattering.

• Due to this scattering effect the

charge electron faces the
degradation in the carrier
mobility and also reduction in
drain current.

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
Short-channel Effects
Velocity Saturation
• For high VDS, carriers experience higher
lateral electric fields. Carrier velocity
increases with increasing lateral electric
fields.

• However, once the critical lateral electric

field is reached, the velocity of the
carriers does not increase any further.

• This is caused by an increased rate of

collision and carrier scattering. The
current does not increase at the
expected rate. Rather, the current
increases very little.

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
Short-channel Effects
Impact Ionization
• For Gate length in submicron, the electric field at the drain become so
high that electrons are imparted enough energy to become hot.

• These electrons impact the drain and the holes will swept to towards
negatively charged substrate, which results in substrate current

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
Short-channel Effects
Hot Electron Effect
• The hot electrons formed due to
impact ionization can penetrate
through oxide layer which results
in Ig(gate current previously it
was negligible in long channel
devices) .

• Ig increases, Input impedance

decreases, this reduces current
flow from source to drain.

• This results in performance

degradation by effecting Vth,
Subthreshold current and can
cause circuit failure.
Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
MOSFET vs FETs
• The expanding leakage current results in power dissipation because of
DIBL (Drain induced barrier lowering).

• In order to overcome this we have to decrease the thickness of the

oxide but this increases the leakage because of GIDL (Gate induced
drain leakage)

• The tunneling-based leakage currents caused where the gate overlaps

the drain is referred to as the gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL)

• To reduce the GIDL there raises a need of high and abrupt drain doping
which helps reducing series resistance to attain high transistor drive
current

PHYSICAL DESIGN
MOSFET vs FETs
• Thus to overcome all such barriers multiple gate field effect transistors
(MUGFETs) are used

• Comparatively FinFETs (double gate FET) and Gate FETs (FET with three
gates) are more useful over other MUGFETs because of their simple
structure and easy fabrication.

PHYSICAL DESIGN
FinFET
What is FinFET?

• Tri-Gate Transistor design which are

also called as 3D Transistors

• A FinFET is a type of field-effect

transistor (FET) that has a thin vertical
fin instead of being completely planar

• The gate is fully “wrapped” around

the channel on three sides formed
between the source and the drain

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
FinFET
• The greater surface area created
between the gate and channel
provides better control of the electric
state and reduces leakage compared
to planar FETs.

• Using FinFETs, results in much better

electrostatic control of the channel
and thus better electrical
characteristics than planar FETs.

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
FinFET
• Fin-FET overcomes the short-channel effect

• Originally, the Fin-FET architecture was conceived as being built

on SOI wafers: the oxide layer provides a ‘stop’ for the etch
processes used to define the raised channel fins

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
FinFET

• On a bulk-silicon process, control over fin depth is more

difficult, although the manufacturing issues appear to be
manageable

• Self-heating is the main problem with Fin-FET device

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
FinFET
• Moreover FinFETs are used as an
alternative to bulk MOSFETs because of
their improved stability, lower leakage
current, improved short channel
performance and enhanced sub
threshold slope

• Fabrication technology of FinFET is

somehow similar to MOSFETs but the
double gate structures are non planar
transistors in which the direction of
current is parallel to the wafer and
channel formed is perpendicular to the
wafer

Image source: Google

PHYSICAL DESIGN
FinFET
Advantages
• Excellent Short-Channel control
• Low leakage
• Lower operating voltage
• Faster operation
• Lower Threshold-voltage
• Higher gain
• Higher drive current
• Best Electro-statics
• Lower Gate resistance
Disadvantages
• Difficult to build reliably
• Self-heating
• Increase the fin count for pull-
down devices which increases
area
• The freedom to choose the
device’s drive strength is
reduced
• Expensive, Requires changes in
process & design
• Designer does not have the
ability to control the channel as
easily
PHYSICAL DESIGN
Thank you

PHYSICAL DESIGN