Insights in low frequency noise of advanced and high-mobility channel transistors

An overview is given on the impact of the implementation of high-mobility channel materials and novel device architectures on the low-frequency (LF) noise behavior of 22 nm and below CMOS transistors. It will be shown that a similar 1/f noise power spectral density (PSD) can be achieved for SiGe-channel planar and bulk FinFET devices, whereby mobility fluctuations are dominant. At the same time, it is demonstrated that processing-induced Generation-Recombination (GR) noise can yield a strong device-to-device variability in the PSD. This is illustrated for both bulk FinFETs and thin-film ultra-thin buried oxide (UTBOX) Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) MOSFETs. A model is presented for the LF noise in narrow, fully-depleted (FD) device structures, allowing the extraction of the oxide trap density profiles and silicon film GR center parameters. This model explains the occurrence of Lorentzian GR noise with gate voltage dependent parameters in planar or vertical FD devices and at the same time points out a new source of noise variability, which becomes important for future bulk FinFET technology nodes.