Simulation of Thin Silicon Layers: Impact of Orientation, Confinement and Strain

Silicon-on-insulator is a key technology which ensures continuation of Moore’s law. This document investigates the impact of orientation, confinement, and strain on the electronic structure of thin silicon slabs using density functional theory. Moreover a systematic comparison of FDSOI device characteristics using parameters of both the default bulk material and that of the studied slab material is also performed. The comparative study of low index orientations show that confinement not only widens the band gap but also transforms the band gap type. Moreover, it is found that for thin silicon layers, strain can alter band gap and band gap type. By summarizing the findings for different crystal orientations, we demonstrate that the consideration of the electronic structure of strained and confined silicon is of high relevance for modelling actual devices with ultra thin body