Investigation of stress memorization process on low-frequency noise performance for strained Si n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

The use of low-frequency (1/f) noise to evaluate low-cost stress-memorization technique (SMT) induced-stress in n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors has been investigated. As compared to device without SMT process, the comparable 1/f noise level obtained for strained Si devices with the low-cost SMT process indicates that adding the low-cost SMT process will not affect the Si/SiO2 interface quality. Moreover, through observing experiment result and Hooge's parameter alpha(H), the mechanism of 1/f noise in the both devices can be properly interpreted by the carrier number fluctuations correlated mobility fluctuations (unified model). (C) 2011 The Japan Society of Applied Physics