I.

The MOS Capacitor in Inversion VGB>VTn

A. Charge Picture
• The gate-bulk voltage is greater than the threshold voltage:
an n-type region of electrons (the inversion layer) exists at the
surface with charge (per unit area) QN
QG ρ(x)

Xd,max
0
-tox x
-qNa
QN

B. Electric Field
• The electric field drops by 3 times due to the change in electric
permittivity at x = 0. Another drop occurs that is proportional to the
inversion charge QN
E (x)

Eox

E (x=0) = Eox / 3

E (x=0+)
Xd,max

-tox 0 x

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 7
C. Potential in Inversion
• The surface potential is fixed (“pinned”) at φs = - φp
φ(x)
_ 1.5 V

φmn+

+ 1.0 V
Vox

500 mV
VGB

−tox 0 φs = 420 mV Xd,max

x
−2φp
_
φpm
+
−500 mV

(c)

D. Inversion Charge - Mobile Electrons

• Bulk charge is constant for VGB > VTn --> all of the additional charge
in the silicon is electrons in the inversion layer once inversion
occurs.
• Since the inversion layer is separated from the gate by the gate
oxide, the inversion charge density is given by

Q N = – C ox ( V GB – V Tn )

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 7
II. Charge Storage in the MOS Structure

A. Three regions of operation:

• Accumulation: qG = Cox (vGB - vFB) ... parallel plate capacitor
• Depletion: qG = - qB(vGB), with the bulk (depletion) charge in the
silicon being a nonlinear function of vGB
• Inversion: qG = - qN - qB,max , where qB,max = qB(vGB = VTn) is the
depletion charge at the onset of inversion and

B. Gate charge as a function of gate-bulk voltage:

QG

rsion
in ve
−QN(VGB)

n
letio
dep −QB,max
−QB(VGB)
−2 −1

0 1 2 VGB (V)
on VFB = − 0.97 V VTn = 0.6 V
ati
ul

,,
,,

c um
ac

,,, ,,,
.
inversion

,,, ,,,
layer

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + ++
VFB < VGB < VTn _ VGB > VTn _
− − − − − − − − − − − − − − − − −

,,,,, ,,,,,
Xd − − − − − −
Xd.max
p-type depletion region x p-type depletion region
x

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 7
C. MOS Capacitance
• The capacitance of the MOS structure is defined as
dq G
C = -------------
dv GB
V GB

• Mathematical expression for depletion region (rarely used)

• Graphical interpretation: find slope of charge-voltage plot

C / Cox

1.0
accumulation inversion

0.8

0.6
de
pl
eti
on

0.4

0.2

-2 -1
0 1 2
VGB [V]
VFB = - 0.97 V VTn = 0.6 V

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 7
D. Physical Interpretation of MOS Capacitance:
Accumulation
• By examining where the incremental charge qg is mirrored in the
silicon substrate, we can make sense of the MOS capacitor

ρ(x)
−QG

−tox
VGB < VFB < 0
QG < 0 0 x

QG

(a)
ρ′(x)
−qG

−tox
vGB = VGB + vgb
(vgb > 0) 0 x

qG = QG + qg
> QG
(b)

∆ρ(x)

+qg +qg
qg = qG − QG 0
x Cacc = Cox
−tox −qg
−qg

(c)

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 7
E. Physical Interpretation of MOS Capacitance: Depletion
• For the case of depletion, where VFB < VGB < VTn, the small-signal
gate charge is mirrored at the bottom of the depletion region

ρ(x)
QG

Xd
0 < VGB < VTn 0
QG > 0 −tox −qNa
x

−QG = −qNaXd
(a)

qG = QG + qg ρ′(x)
(> QG)

Xd X′d
vGB =VGB + vgb 0
(vgb > 0) −tox x
−qNa

−qG = −qNa X′d

(b)

∆ρ(x)

+qg +qg
Cox
Xd X′d
qg = qG − QG 0
Cdep =
CoxCb
−tox x Cox + Cb
−qNa Cb
−qg
−qg = −qNa(X′d −Xd)

(c)

• Capacitance is given by the oxide capacitance in series with the bulk

capacitance:
C ox C b εs
C = ---------------------- where C b = ---------------------- .
C ox + C b X d(V GB)

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 7
F. Physical Interpretation of MOS Capacitance: Inversion
• For VGB > VTn, the small-signal gate charge is mirrored in the
electron inversion layer ... since the bulk depletion layer is constant

ρ (x)
QG

VGB > VTn 0 Xd,max

−tox x
−qNa

QN QB,max = −qNaXd,max

(a)

ρ′(x)
qG = QG + qg

0 Xd,max
vGB = VGB + vgb
(vgb > 0) −tox qNa x

QB,max = −qNa Xd,max

qN = QN − qg

(b)

∆ρ (x)

+qg
+qg 0 Xd,max
qg = qG − QG Cinv = Cox
−tox x
−qg −qg

(c)

Q N = – C ox ( V GB – V Tn )

EECS 6.012 Spring 1998

Lecture 7