Analysis of GIDL Dependence on STI-induced Mechanical Stress

The mechanical stress induced by shallow trench isolation (STI) signifilcantly affects the device behavior in the advanced CMOS technology. This paper presents an STI-dependent gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) model and investigates the physical mechanisms in this phenomenon. Our simulation indicates that STI-induced compressive stress causes energy band gap narrowing. As a consequence, the effective tunneling barrier height becomes lower and intrinsic carrier concentration increases. These two factors enhance band-to-band tunneling (BBT) and trap-assisted tunneling (TAT), respectively. And an asymmetric layout is proposed to reduce the GIDL current.