Reverse short channel effects in high-k gated nMOSFETs

Anomalous threshold voltage roll-up behavior, commonly referred as reverse short channel effect (RSCE), has been observed in high-k (HfO2 on SiON buffer, Al2O3 on SiON buffer) gated submicron nMOSFETs, while the SiO2 or SiON control samples show normal short channel effect (SCE) behavior. The possible causes such as inhomogeneous channel doping profile and gate oxide thickness variation near S/D ends have been ruled out. The results indicate that interface trap density that dependents on channel length is the main cause of the RSCE observed here. In addition, oxide charge also plays a role. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.