Universal tunneling behavior in technologically relevant P/N junction diodes

Band-to-band tunneling was studied in ion-implanted P/N junction diodes with profiles representative of present and future silicon complementary metal–oxide–silicon (CMOS) field effect transistors. Measurements were done over a wide range of temperatures and implant parameters. Profile parameters were derived from analysis of capacitance versus voltage characteristics, and compared to secondary-ion mass spectroscopy analysis. When the tunneling current was plotted against the effective tunneling distance (tunneling distance corrected for band curvature) a quasi-universal exponential reduction of tunneling current versus, tunneling distance was found with an attenuation length of 0.38 nm, corresponding to a tunneling effective mass of 0.29 times the free electron mass (m0), and an extrapolated tunneling current at zero tunnel distance of 5.3×107 A/cm2 at 300 K. These results are directly applicable for predicting drain to substrate currents in CMOS transistors on bulk silicon, and body currents in CMOS transistors in silicon-on-insulator.