On the electron mobility of strained InGaAs channel MOSFETs

A discussion over the microscopic electron mobility of strained InGaAs channels of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is presented. The theoretical model is validated against experimental results of strained InGaAs-on-Insulator (InGaAs-OI) MOSFETs. It accurately reproduces effective and Hall mobilities vs. charge density curves, once the calibration of interface trap density has been performed. Our findings are that 1) the interface trap distribution is decreased by strain, and this explains 2) the increase of Hall mobility with strain for low tensile strain values and 3) the insensitivity of Hall mobility to strain for higher tensile strain values. Finally, for the same reason 4) in ideal trap-free devices no strain-induced mobility enhancement is foreseen