Characteristic length of hot-electron transport in silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors

Characteristic length of hot-electron transport in an inversion layer at a Si surface is estimated by using lateral hot electron transistor, which has an upper gate and two lower gates. The inversion layer formed by biasing t he upper-gate voltage is separated into three channel regions (the emitter, collector, and base) by the two lower gates. We find that the characterist ic length depends on both the upper-gate voltage and the injection energy a nd ranges from 19 to 27 nm. These results show that hot electrons are affec ted by electron-electron scattering or surface-roughness scattering and tha t hot-electron transport plays a crucial role in Si metal-oxide-semiconduct or field effect transistors with gate lengths of 20 nm or less. (C) 2000 Am erican Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)02418-9].