Non-Silicon MOSFET Technology: A Long Time Coming

Abstract

A summary of the important materials science issues associated with the realization of viable III-V MOSFET technologies is presented. The key science breakthrough was the unambiguous identification of which components of the non-stoichiometric native oxides were responsible for surface Fermi level pinning (FLP). The components that cause FLP are the anion oxides and the elemental anion associated with a particular III-V compound semiconductor. For GaAs, these are As₂O₃ and elemental As respectively. The physics of FLP is also applicable to Schottky barriers. Although many attempts were made to explain FLP, the most comprehensive theory is that the elemental anion acts to cause FLP via its Schottky barrier workfunction. During the past decade several technologies have succeeded in mitigating these chemical barriers and III-V MOSFET technology is now a component of the MOSFET menu.