Unique method to electrically characterize a single stacking fault in silicon-on-insulator metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors

A unique and simple method is demonstrated for characterizing the electrical behavior of a single stacking fault in thin-film fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (SOI) metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs). SOI islands were created using selective epitaxial growth/epitaxial lateral overgrowth technology. P-channel MOSFETs, with the presence of a single stacking fault entirely in the channel region, were measured. The influence of a single stacking fault on device current–voltage characteristics was determined and compared to that of nearby identical devices without stacking faults. It was found that the threshold voltage increased and saturation current decreased, but had low subthreshold leakages. P-channel MOSFETs, with a single stacking fault crossing the gate and penetrating into the source and drain, had high subthreshold leakage currents. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.