A new three-dimensional MOSFET gate-induced drain leakage effect in narrow deep submicron devices

A new MOSFET gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) mechanism is observed in narrow-width trench-isolated MOSFET devices. Electrical measurements and device simulation show that this mechanism occurs due to electric-field enhancement at the three-dimensional intersection of the gate-to-drain overlap region and the trench corner. The enhanced electric field increases the GIDL current at the 3-D intersection region. This imposes another fundamental limit on MOSFET dielectric scaling in deep submicron narrow-width devices. Since the 3-D GIDL mechanism is caused by a high electric field, trench corner rounding and lightly doped drain junctions provide effective solutions.<>