Strain-Induced Plasma Radiation in Terahertz Domain in Strained-Si-on-Insulator MOSFETs

Abstract

This paper reports an ATLAS-based simulation study for investigating the strain-induced current instability in terms of negative differential resistance in strained-Si-on-insulator (SSOI) MOSFETs for terahertz (THz) emission. The variations of output drain current-voltage characteristics of the devices have been studied by varying the device parameters such as the gate length and strain in the channel. The effects of these parameters on the resonance plasma frequency have also been investigated. The large signal transient simulation of the device has been explored for generating a 4-THz sinusoidal signal using the SSOI MOSFETs. Prediction of this study may work as a stepping stone toward the development of solid-state microwave sources in the terahertz domain using the well-matured CMOS technology. © 1973-2012 IEEE.