Three-dimensional analysis of subthreshold swing and transconductance for fully-recessed-oxide (trench) isolated 1/4- mu m-width MOSFETs

The dependence of MOSFET gate controllability on the field-isolation scheme is investigated using three-dimensional simulation. It is found that a fully-recessed-oxide (trench) isolated MOSFET has a steep subthreshold characteristic and high transconductance in comparison with a nonrecessed device. These features result from the small depletion capacitance due to the crowding of the gate's fringing field at the channel edge. It is also found that the gate and diffused line capacitances in the case of fully-recessed-oxide isolation are small, so that high switching speed operation can be expected. These features are enhanced with a reduction in the channel width, especially for lower-submicrometer-width MOSFETs. A drawback of a fully-recessed-oxide MOSFETs is its low threshold voltage. However, the leakage current is not as large as that inferred from the inverse narrow-channel effect because of its steep subthreshold characteristic. Several countermeasures for this low threshold voltage are discussed.<
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