32nm FinFET vs. 32nm MOSFET

Introduction

While the improvements in the number of transistors per chip and system performance have been exponential over the past couple of decades, modern technology has approached a point where technology scaling tradeoffs play a significant role. As the channel length continues to decrease, power consumption and device leakage become more prominent issues that must be addressed in order to continue scaling. Although research has shown that there are many effective techniques for addressing these concerns such as high-k dielectrics and silicon straining, it is also apparent that CMOS has reached its limit. This has led to the investigation of new technologies beyond CMOS. One proposed solution with promising applications is the use of FinFET in circuit designs.

Compared to a planar MOSFET in which a gate sits on top of a conductive channel, the 3D FinFET has its gate wrapping around two or three sides of the channel. FinFET’s multiple gates allow greater control over the channel, which provide high drive current and transconductance, low leakage current, and better scaling capability compared to bulk MOSFET, even when the device is scaled down. FinFET structure is fully depleted, enabling good ON/OFF switching. While the channel length is critical in CMOS, fin width is a limiting factor in FinFET.

Project Description

In this project, I compare the multi-gate, three-dimensional FinFET with a bulk, planar MOSFET at 32nm technology node by simulating the 32nm BSIM4 model card for bulk CMOS and the 32nm model for FinFET. I hope to verify FinFET’s excellent scalability and immunity to short channel effects, which make them highly suitable for integrated circuit. Different parameters that reflect transistors’ switching ability and gain will be analyzed such as the sub-threshold swing, 𝐼𝑜𝑛/𝐼𝑜𝑓𝑓 ratio, drain induced barrier lowering, transconductance, and intrinsic gain. Fundamental digital circuits such as inverter and NAND gate will be implemented in order to study delay and power dissipation.

Conclusion

The simulation results for device characterization and circuit performance show that FinFET outperforms MOSFET at the 32nm technology node. Since FinFET offer many advantages such as significantly improved power, higher performance, and lesser short-channel effect, FinFET is a new frontier in the electronics industry.