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Effects Of Interface Roughness Scattering On Radio Frequency Performance Of Silicon Nanowire Transistors, Sunggeun Kim, Mathieu Luisier, Timothy B. Boykin, Gerhard Klimeck

Birck and NCN Publications

The effects of an atomistic interface roughness in n-type silicon nanowire transistors (SiNWT) on the radio frequency performance are analyzed. Interface roughness scattering (IRS) is statistically investigated through a three dimensional full–band quantum transport simulation based on the sp3d5s∗ tight–binding model. As the diameter of the SiNWT is scaled down below 3 nm, IRS causes a significant reduction of the cut-off frequency. The fluctuations of the conduction band edge due to the rough surface lead to a reflection of electrons through mode-mismatch. This effect reduces the velocity of electrons and hence the transconductance considerably causing a cut-off frequency reduction.