[paper] DC, LF noise and TID mechanisms in 16nm FinFETs

Stefano Bonaldo^ab, Teng Ma^ab, Serena Mattiazzo^bc, Andrea Baschirotto^de, Christian Enz^f, Daniel M.Fleetwood^g, Alessandro Paccagnella^ab, Simone Gerardin^ab

DC response, low-frequency noise, and TID-induced mechanisms in 16-nm FinFETs for high-energy physics experiments

J. NIMA Section A; available online 18 April 2022, 166727

DOI: j.nima.2022.166727

     
a University of Padova (I)
b INFN Padova (I)
c University of Padova (I)
d INFN Milano (I)
e University of Milano Bicocca (I)
f ICLab, EPFL, Lausanne (CH)
g Vanderbilt University, Nashville (USA)

Abstract: Total-ionizing-dose (TID) mechanisms are evaluated in 16nm Si bulk FinFETs at doses up to 1 Grad (SiO₂) for applications in high-energy physics experiments. The TID effects are evaluated through DC and low-frequency noise measurements by varying irradiation bias conditions, transistor channel lengths, and fin/finger layouts. The TID response of nFinFETs irradiated under positive gate bias at ultrahigh doses shows a rebound of threshold voltage with significant increase in the 1/f noise amplitude. The degradation is related to the generation of border and interface traps at the upper corners of STI oxides and at the gate oxide/channel interfaces. In contrast, pFinFETs have the worst degradation due to positive charge trapping in STI oxides, which severely degrades the device transconductance and total drain current, while negligible effects are visible in the threshold voltage and 1/f noise. The TID sensitivity depends strongly on the transistor layout. Short-channel devices have the best TID tolerance thanks to the influence of halo implantation, while pFinFETs designed with low number of fins have the worst degradation because of high densities of positive charge in the surrounding thick STI oxides. As a guideline for IC design, short-channel transistors with more than 4-fins may be preferred in order to facilitate circuit qualification.

Fig: Low-frequency noise measured at |Vds|=50mV and |Vgs|=0.85V at room temperature for pFinFET with Nfin=2 and L=16 nm, irradiated up to 1Grad (SiO2) in the ON condition

Acknowledgment: This work has been carried out within the FinFET16v2 experiment funded by the National Institute for Nuclear Physics - INFN, Italy.

[paper] JART VCM v1 Verilog-A Compact

JART VCM v1 Verilog-A Compact

Model User Guide

Christopher Bengel, David Kaihua Zhang, Rainer Waser, Stephan Menzel

Electronic Materials Research Laboratory; RWTH Aachen University
Forschungszentrum Jülich

Abstract: The JART VCM v1a model was developed to simulate the switching characteristics of ReRAM devices based on the valence change mechanism. In this model, the ionic defect concentration (oxygen vacancies) in the disc region close to the active electrode (AE) defines the resistance state. The concentration changes due to the drift of the ionic defects. Furthermore, these oxygen vacancies act as mobile donors and modulate the Schottky barrier at the AE/oxide interface. In this model, Joule heating is considered, which significantly accelerates the switching process at high current levels. Since the JART VCM v1b model represents an improvement of the JART VCM v1a model, this user guide will have its focus on the JART VCM v1b model. Here, the equivalent circuit diagram (ECD) as well as some equations have been modified to explain the switching dynamics more accurately  Based on the JART VCM v1b model, a variability model was developed, which includes both device-to-device and cycle-to-cycle variability. In terms of the device-to-device variability, the VCM cells are initiated with statistical distributed parameters: filament lengths, filament radii and maximum and minimum values for the oxygen vacancy concentration in the disc. The cycle-to-cycle variability is achieved by changing the four quantities during SET and RESET. The latest extension of the JART VCM v1b also includes RTN, which is based on statistical jumps of oxygen vacancies into and out of the disc region.

Fig: Equivalent circuit diagram of the JART VCM v1b model (a) 

along with the electrical model in Verilog-A (b).

The Verilog-A code of this model can be downloaded here (Verilog-A file).
The User Guide for this model version can be downloaded here (User Guide PDF).

[ESSCIRC 2015] Low-power analog RF circuit design based on the inversion coefficient

[ref] Enz, Christian; Chalkiadaki, Maria-Anna; Mangla, Anurag, "Low-power analog/RF circuit design based on the inversion coefficient," in ESSCIRC 2015 - 41st , vol., no., pp.202-208, 14-18 Sept. 2015

Abstract: This paper discusses the concept of the inversion coefficient as an essential design parameter that spans the entire range of operating points from weak via moderate to strong inversion, including velocity saturation. Several figures-of-merit based on the inversion coefficient, especially suitable for the design of low-power analog and RF circuits, are presented. These figures-of-merit incorporate the various trade-offs encountered in analog and RF circuit design. The use of the inversion coefficient and the derived figures-of-merit for optimization and design is demonstrated through simple examples. Finally, the simplicity of the inversion coefficient based analytical models is emphasized by their favorable comparison against measurements of a commercial 40-nm bulk CMOS process as well as with simulations using the BSIM6 model.

Keywords: Analytical models, Integrated circuits, Noise, Radio frequency, Silicon, Transconductance, Transistors, BSIM6

URL / doi: 10.1109/ESSCIRC.2015.7313863

QUCS: Project of the Week, June 1, 2015

 The Qucs is one of the featured projects for the week (June 1, 2015), which appear on the front page of SourceForge.net:

 Qucs is a circuit simulator with a graphical user interface. The software aims to support all kinds of circuit simulation types such as, e.g. DC, AC, S-parameter, Transient, Noise, and Harmonic Balance analysis. Pure digital simulations are also supported.
[ Download Quite Universal Circuit Simulator ]

Semiconductor Devices Characterization Seminar

Technical Seminars addressing the challenges of CMOS, Power and RF

semiconductor device measurement and modeling 

Agilent and it´s 25 collaborative partners invite you to attend this complimentary technical seminar on characterization and modeling of semiconductor devices. Two tracks in parallel will address the needs for:

• Small scale silicon industry
• Power silicon industry and RF Power

Common topics to both Tracks:

• Live demonstration of GaN device characterization flow: DC I-V characteristic extraction, RF Power measurement, Spice models creation for further usage in design stage.

CMOS Track:

• Accurate and repeatable on-the-wafer device extraction – Cascade Microtech
• DC characterization for emerging nano-technologies
• Flicker Noise and Random Telegraph Noise
• Spice model libraries optimization for dedicated application

Power & RF Power Track:

• High Power Devices measurement
• III-V devices spice model (DynaFET)
• Nonlinear Component characterization
• Non-50ohm Load Pull solution – Maury

Where/when:
To obtain the detail agenda of the nearest session, please select one of the locations below.

Country	City	Date	More Information
FR	Grenoble	18 September 2014	Register here
FI	Helsinki	23 September 2014	Register here
DE	Munich	30 September 2014	Register here
DE	Dresden	2 October 2014	Register here
CH	Lausanne	14 October 2014	Register here
BE	Leuven	16 October 2014	Register here
NL	Eindhoven	17 October 2014	Register here
SW	Goteborg	28 October 2014	Register here
UK	Cambridge	30 October 2014	Register here
FR	Les Ulis	6 November 2014	Register here

 

 

Call for IJNM papers: Noise modeling of high-frequency semiconductor devices

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NUMERICAL MODELLING: ELECTRONIC NETWORKS, DEVICES AND FIELDS Int. J. Numer. Model. (2014)

Call for IJNM papers: Noise modeling of high-frequency semiconductor devices 

Noise processes in solid-state active devices often determine their fundamental operational limits. This is especially true in situations where a device operates under tight sensitivity and accuracy constraints, as is the case in satellite communication systems, aerospace instrumentation, and deep-space radio astronomy. Today’s ultra-high frequency transistors that meet these demanding low-noise performance characteristics often leverage progressive device downscaling techniques in conjunction with improved semiconductor alloys. 

To enable the design of next-generation low-noise devices, however, accurate and flexible models that characterize the connection between the physics of microscopic noise processes and measurable macroscopic performance are called for. The objective of this Special Issue is to collect and disseminate recent results addressing the topic of modeling and simulation of the macroscopic noise performance of high- frequency transistors including but not limited to GaAs-based and GaN-based field-effect transistors, Si metal–oxide–semiconductor FETs and FinFETs, InP-based high-electron-mobility transistors, and GaAs and SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistors. It is worth pointing out that because of frequency up-conversion phenomena caused by a device’s nonlinearities, low frequency noise processes may strongly impact microwave and millimeter wave behavior as well. Contributions focusing on low-frequency noise modeling therefore will be considered as well. 

This issue will include both invited and contributed manuscripts.

Manuscripts for this Special Issue should adhere to the requirements for regular papers of the IJNM as specified in the Author Guidelines at 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-1204/ homepage/ForAuthors.html. 

Potential contributors may contact the Guest Editors to determine the suitability of their contribution to the Special Issue. All manuscripts should be submitted via the IJNM’s manuscript website, with a statement that they are intended for this Special Issue. 

Guest Editors: 
Prof. Alina Caddemi University of Messina, Italy Email:
Prof. Ernesto Limiti University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy Email:

Manuscript submission deadline: July 31, 2014