Gate current tunneling modulated by magnetic field in 65nm nMOSFET's

An alternative characterization technique for ultra-thin gate oxides unveils that a magnetic field, applied parallel to the surface and perpendicular to the channel current, modulates both gate oxide tunneling and channel current. This is attributed to magnetic modulation of both quantum confinement and the Si-SiO₂ potential barrier of a MOSFET. This new characterization technique is used to measure the gate current in 65 nm nMos transistor exposed to a magnetic field of +/-25 mT. This technique, in conjunction with 3D electro-magnetic simulations, allows an extended study of quantum effects at the Si-SiO₂ interface of ultra-thin nano-metric MOSFETs.