Performance degradation of small silicon devices caused by long-range Coulomb interactions

In small silicon devices, conduction electrons in the channel are subject t o long-range Coulomb interactions with electrons in the heavily doped drain , source, and gate regions. We show that, for devices with channel lengths shorter than about 40 nm and oxides thinner than 2.5 nm, these interactions cause a reduction of the electron velocity. We present results obtained us ing both semiclassical two-dimensional self-consistent Monte Carlo/Poisson simulations and a quantum-mechanical model based on electron scattering fro m gate-oxide interface plasmons. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S 0003-6951(00)03816-X].