Study of triple-gate SOI MOSFETs (SOI FinFETs) behavior submitted to radiation

• Grant number: 24/17700-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Electrical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Paula Ghedini Der Agopian
• Grantee: Thiago Mendes Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus Experimental São João da Boa Vista. São João da Boa Vista , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With the advancement of integrated circuit manufacturing technology, device scaling makes controlling the charges in the channel region of conventional MOS transistors increasingly difficult and complex. The SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator) MOSFET transistor with multiple gates, also known as the SOI FinFET transistor, appears as an alternative to planar transistors due to the better electrostatic coupling between gate and channel, resulting in better control of charges in the channel and consequently greater immunity to short-channel effects.One of the applications already implemented in the industry is its use in high-performance processors and circuits. In addition, there is currently great interest in the development of radiation-tolerant circuits for use for long periods in hostile environments, such as in satellites in outer space, airplanes or even in medical equipment. Therefore, the study of the analog potential and/or its behavior in hostile environments also needs to be considered. This undergraduate research project will involve the theoretical and experimental study of FinFET transistors with different channel lengths and different fin widths, investigating the electrostatic coupling between the gates and the channel. The performance of triple-gate FinFET transistors will be evaluated based on the main analog and digital DC parameters, such as threshold voltage, subthreshold slope, transconductance, output conductance, transistor efficiency, Early voltage and intrinsic voltage gain. The effect of radiation on 3D transistors will be studied considering the behavior of transistors before and after ionizing radiation (proton and/or X-ray radiation). The study of a technology not covered in the undergraduate course, as well as precision electrical measurements together with the study of this wide range of parameters and the effects of radiation on advanced transistors, provides the student with knowledge that goes far beyond what is presented to him in the undergraduate course.