Brain Teaser Assignment

1)What is Overdrive voltage?

Ans:-
The overdrive voltage is defined as the voltage between transistor gate and source (V GS)
in excess of the threshold voltage (VTH) where VTH is defined as the minimum voltage
required between gate and source to turn the transistor on (allow it to conduct electricity).
Due to this definition, overdrive voltage is also known as "excess gate voltage" or
"effective voltage." Overdrive voltage can be found using the simple equation: V OV =
VGS − VTH.

VOV is important as it directly affects the output drain terminal current (I D) of the
transistor, an important property of amplifier circuits. By increasing V OV, ID can be
increased until saturation is reached.

Overdrive voltage is also important because of its relationship to V DS, the drain voltage
relative to the source, which can be used to determine the region of operation of the
MOSFET.

2)What is the purpose of oxide layer in MOSFET?

Ans:-
1. Electrical Insulation: One of the primary functions of the oxide layer in a MOSFET
is to act as an electrical insulator between the gate electrode and the semiconductor
substrate. By providing insulation, the oxide layer prevents current flow between the
gate and the semiconductor when the transistor is in the off state. This insulation is
essential for controlling the flow of current in the device and ensuring proper transistor
operation.
2. Gate Control: The oxide layer also enables precise control of the transistor's
conductivity. When a voltage is applied to the gate electrode, an electric field is
established across the oxide layer, influencing the charge distribution in the
semiconductor channel beneath it. This field effect allows the MOSFET to modulate
the channel's conductivity and regulate the flow of current between the source and
drain terminals.
3. Threshold Voltage: The thickness of the oxide layer directly affects the threshold
voltage of the MOSFET. The threshold voltage is the minimum gate-source voltage
required to turn the transistor on and start conducting current. By adjusting the
thickness of the oxide layer, the threshold voltage can be tailored to meet specific
design requirements, influencing the device's switching characteristics and
performance.
4. Gate Leakage Control: Maintaining the integrity of the oxide layer is crucial for
preventing gate leakage in the MOSFET. Gate leakage occurs when current flows
through the oxide layer due to defects or imperfections, leading to undesirable power
consumption and performance degradation. By ensuring a high-quality oxide layer,
gate leakage can be minimized, enhancing the efficiency and reliability of the
transistor.
5. Interface Quality: The interface between the oxide layer and the semiconductor
material is critical for the overall performance of the MOSFET. A well-defined and
clean interface is essential for minimizing interface traps, reducing charge scattering,
and improving carrier mobility within the channel. The oxide layer plays a key role in
defining the quality of this interface, influencing the device's speed, efficiency, and
reliability.
3)Why is p substrate preferred over n substrate?
Ans:- NMOS is faster than PMOS, because the carriers in NMOS, which are electrons,
travel twice as fast as holes, which are the carriers in PMOS. P substrate has the majority
carrier as holes, if an n-substrate is used, a p-well formation is required inside to form
NMOS. Since hole mobility is less than electrons, a p-well is formed by counter doping, so
with that again hole mobility is decreased. Hence it may degrade the performance of NMOS,
therefore p substrate is used in CMOS.
The second reason is that if we create a P-well above the N-type substrate, to get maximum
electron mobility in NMOS we need a very high resistive (high doping) P-well, which is a
costly process. So, the fastest NMOS was obtained with a high resistive P substrate, not a
lower P-well in an N-type substrate.

The third reason is in a p-well technology, such a choice would degrade the gain due to the
body effect of PMOS transistors (coming as a second cause for gain degradation after the
"low mobility of holes" cause).

The fourth reason is, p-type doping of an original silicon wafer is more uniform than any
doping that can be obtained by introducing a p-well into a silicon wafer. The only methods to
create a p-well are by diffusion or ion implantation and both have inherent non-uniformity
with depth into the substrate.

The fifth reason is p-type substrate allows one to build n-channel transistors without
additional doping. This is a substantial advantage because, the lower the doping, the higher
the mobility of electrons and the higher the gain, and the higher the switching speed of
transistors.

The sixth reason is the p substrate is less suspect to noise as compared to the n substrate.

The seventh reason is if We use n substrate then the whole plate needs to be tied with
power(VDD), which may create leakage.

4)Why p substrate is light doped in MOSFETs?

Ans:-

The p-type substrate in an n-channel MOSFET (NMOS) is lightly doped for several reasons:
 1. Control of Threshold Voltage (V_T): The doping level of the substrate
affects the threshold voltage of the MOSFET. The threshold voltage is the gate voltage
at which the channel just starts to conduct. By lightly doping the p-type substrate, the
threshold voltage can be controlled and optimized for the desired device
characteristics.
2. Reduction of Substrate Bias Effects: Lightly doping the substrate helps in reducing
the impact of substrate bias effects. When the substrate is lightly doped, it is less likely
to influence the behavior of the channel and the overall performance of the MOSFET.
3. Prevention of Parasitic Effects: Lightly doping the substrate helps in minimizing
parasitic effects such as the formation of unwanted parasitic bipolar transistors. These
parasitic elements can degrade the performance of the MOSFET by causing leakage
currents and instability.
4. Enhancement of Breakdown Voltage: Lightly doping the substrate can enhance the
breakdown voltage of the MOSFET. This is important for ensuring the reliability and
robustness of the device under high voltage conditions.
5. Reduction of Junction Capacitance: Lightly doping the substrate helps in reducing
the junction capacitance between the substrate and the source/drain regions. Lower
junction capacitance leads to faster switching speeds and improved overall
performance of the MOSFET.
By carefully controlling the doping level of the p-type substrate in an NMOS transistor,
designers can optimize the device characteristics, improve performance, and minimize
unwanted effects, ultimately leading to more efficient and reliable integrated circuits.

5)Why polysilicon used for gates?

Ans:-

The polysilicon gate acts as a mask for the source and drains implantation during the
fabrication process, as it is also called as "Self-aligned Gate Process".

The doping process of the drain and source requires very high-temperature annealing
methods (above 8000C). If Al is used as a gate material, it would melt under such a high
temperature. This is because the melting point of Al is approximately 6500C. But, if
polysilicon is used as a gate material, it would not melt. Thus, the self-alignment process is
possible with a polysilicon gate.

Earlier, metal gates were used when operating voltages were in the range of 3-5 volts. But, as
the transistors were scaled down, the operating voltage also came down. so with that
threshold, Vt also came down. Using metal as gate material resulted in a high threshold
voltage compared to polysilicon since polysilicon would be of the same or similar
composition as the bulk-Si channel. Also, using polysilicon as a semiconductor, its work
function can be modulated by adjusting the level of doping.

Poly-Si gates have replaced metal gates in metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor
technology primarily because they are compatible with self-aligned processes. These
processes enable gate doping and the formation of the source and drain in a single ion
implantation step. Additionally, the work function of poly-Si gates is only slightly different
from that of the silicon substrate, allowing metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors
(MOSFETs) with nearly zero threshold voltage to be realized. This enables aggressive
downscaling with fewer voltage and field constraints. Furthermore, both p-type and n-type
poly-Si gates are used to create PMOS and NMOS transistors with complementary threshold
voltages. Lastly, poly-Si gates can withstand subsequent high-temperature processing steps
and can be oxidized, facilitating the fabrication of isolated multi-layer ULSI structures.

References:-

Sedra and Smith, Microelectronic Circuits, Fifth Edition, (2004)Chapter 4, ISBN 978-0-19-533883-6
Lecture Note of Prof Liu, UC Berkeley

https://www.matec-conferences.org/articles/matecconf/pdf/2016/30/matecconf_smae2016_06103.pdf

https://siliconvlsi.com/why-do-we-use-p-substrate-in-cmos/

https://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~ee40/fa04/lectures/mosfet_summary_waterloo.pdf