New physics mechanisms enabled by advanced SOI CMOS engineering

Recent results on state-of-the-art silicon on insulator (SOI) MOS transistors reveal the impact of the device miniaturization. Ultra-thin gate oxide and silicon film enable, respectively, gate-induced floating body effects (GIFBE) and super-coupling. GIFBE depends on the device geometry, frequency and temperature. In ultra-thin SOI films, the interface coupling effects are amplified leading to interesting consequences for multiple-gate operation. The self-heating problem in SOI MOSFETs can be alleviated by replacing the buried oxide with alumina or a different dielectric that offers improved thermal conductivity, without degrading the electrostatic behaviour of the device. The operation principles and main features of transistors with double, triple or quadruple gates are discussed.