Hole transport in UTB MOSFETs in strained-Si directly on insulator with strained-Si thickness less than 5 nm

Hole transport is studied in ultrathin body (UTB) MOSFETs in strained-Si directly on insulator (SSDOI) with a Si thickness down to 1.4 nm. In these Ge-free SSDOI substrates, the Si is strained in biaxial tension with strain levels equivalent to strained-Si on relaxed SiGe, with Ge contents of 30 and 40% Ge. The hole mobility in SSDOI decreases slowly for Si thicknesses above 4 nm, but drops rapidly below that thickness. Relative to silicon-on-insulator control devices of equal thickness, SSDOI displays significant hole mobility enhancement for Si film thicknesses above 3.5 nm. Peak hole mobility is improved by 25% for 40% SSDOI relative to 30% SSDOI fabricated by the same method, demonstrating the benefits of strain engineering for 3.1-nm-thick UTB MOSFETs.