DC and RF characteristics of Si_0.8Ge_0.2 pMOSFETs: Enhanced operation speed and low 1/f noise

This paper reports on our investigation of DC and RF characteristics of p-channel metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (pMOSFETs) with a compressively strained Si_0.8Ge_0.2 channel. Because of enhanced hole mobility in the Si_0.8Ge_0.2 buried layer, the Si_0.8Ge_0.2 pMOSFET showed improved DC and RF characteristics. We demonstrate that the 1/f noise in the Si_0.8Ge_0.2 pMOSFET was much lower than that in the all-Si counterpart, regardless of gate-oxide degradation by electrical stress. These results suggest that the Si_0.8Ge_0.2 pMOSFET is suitable for RF applications that require high speed and low 1/f noise.