News & Events

Faster Computers with SiGe? Strain Relaxation Mechanisms in SiGe/Si Structures

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Date: 09-29-2006
Start Time: 1:00pm
End Time: 2:00pm
Speaker: Patricia Mooney
From: Simon Fraser University, British Columbia
Location: 214 Mudd
Hosted by: Cevdet Noyan - CISE

Abstract:


The amazing advancements achieved to date in Si complementary metal-oxide-silicon (CMOS) technology have come primarily from scaling, i.e., from reducing the critical dimensions of the transistors. Because it is becoming increasingly difficult to further reduce critical dimensions such as the gate oxide thickness, alternative methods of improving transistor performance are also being employed. One important approach is to increase the electron and hole mobility in the transistors, by using strained Si for the electrically active region of the transistors, for example. A serious limitation of strained structures is the introduction of misfit dislocations that reduce the strain and also make the material unsuitable for device applications. This presentation will focus on research to understand dislocation nucleation mechanisms in epitaxial SiGe/Si structures and to fabricate defect-free strained Si structures for CMOS applications.