Steep Increase in Substrate Current in Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor with Multiple-Gate Configuration

A steep increase in substrate current has been observed in a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor with a multiple-gate configuration. Regarding gate voltage dependence, the substrate current plotted on a logarithmic scale exhibited a sharp rise with a slope of 6 mV/decade, which is 20 times steeper than that simultaneously measured for the drain current. Since the slope is even 10 times steeper than the ideal subthreshold swing of 60 mV/decade, the upsurge has been discussed using a hypothetical model in which the impact ionization rate is increased by excitation of acoustic standing waves within the device. (C) 2013 The Japan Society of Applied Physics