Heterogeneous Nanomembrane Structures for CMOS Carrier Mobility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current CMOS devices face challenges in achieving high electron and hole mobility, with Si(001) requiring difficult strain conditions and traditional crystal orientations not adequately addressing the current drive imbalance between n-type and p-type channels.
Innovation Solution
A heterogeneous nanomembrane-based structure is developed, comprising a first semiconductor material with distributed regions of a second semiconductor material, differing in crystalline orientation, composition, or strain, forming a 'quilt' structure that enhances both electron and hole mobility, such as a Si(110) film with Si(001) islands or a trilayer structure with compressively and tensilely strained layers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If very highly strained Si(001) is used to achieve both high electron and hole mobility, then both mobilities are improved, but the strain condition becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying difficult-to-achieve high strain uniformly across Si(001), the patent uses local quality by distributing different crystal orientations (Si(001) and Si(110)) throughout the thin film. Each orientation naturally provides optimized mobility for specific carrier types without requiring extreme strain conditions, simplifying the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the crystal orientation parameter from uniform Si(001) to a distributed mixture of Si(001) and Si(110) orientations. This parameter change allows the structure to achieve high carrier mobility for both electrons and holes through geometric configuration rather than relying on difficult-to-implement high strain conditions
Data Source
AI summary
The present nanomembrane structures include a multilayer film comprising a single-crystalline layer of semiconductor material disposed between two other single-crystalline layers of semiconductor material. A plurality of holes extending through the nanomembrane are at least partially, and preferably entirely, filled with a filler material which is also a semiconductor, but which differs from the nanomembrane semiconductor materials in composition, crystal orientation, or both.