Electron mobility enhancement in strained-Si n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

Abstract
Enhanced performance is demonstrated in n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors with channel regions formed by pseudomorphic growth of strained Si on relaxed Si/sub 1/spl minus/x/Ge/sub x/. Standard MOS fabrication techniques were utilized, including thermal oxidation of the strained Si. Surface channel devices show low-field mobility enhancements of 80% at room temperature and 12% at 10 K, when compared to control devices fabricated in Czochralski Si. Similar enhancements are observed in the device transconductance. In addition, buried channel devices show peak room temperature mobilities about three times that of control devices.