A novel hot carrier mechanism: band-to-band tunneling hole induced bipolar hot electron (BBHBHE)

A novel hot carrier mechanism "band-to-band tunneling hole induced bipolar hot electron (BBHBHE)" is, for the first time, observed in the new P-channel MOSFET with an embedded NPN bipolar transistor at the source side. Operating in the band-to-band tunneling region (i.e. positive gate voltage), the new P-cell generates 100/spl times/ gate current larger than conventional PMOS, while, in normal conduction condition (i.e. negative gate voltage), the cell features 5/spl times//spl sim/16/spl times/ drain current amplification compared to conventional devices. This work discusses the optimization of the new cell and design guideline to improve cell characteristics. By using the BBHBHE mechanism, the superior gate current is a very promising feature for future flash memory requiring programming-speed of tens of nanoseconds.