While many texts (like Sze's Physics of Semiconductor Devices ) cover general semiconductor physics, Nicollian and Brews is noted for its in the MIS system. It serves as a practical manual for researchers needed to: Grow stable oxides. Fabricate MOS capacitor arrays. Design integrated circuits with optimal performance. Availability
The text guides readers through the complex electrostatic equations governing the MOS system. The foundational physics relies on solving in one dimension across the semiconductor:
If you have ever studied the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) capacitor or the MOSFET, you have likely encountered a sacred text: MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Physics and Technology by E.H. Nicollian and J.R. Brews. Published by Wiley, this isn't just a book; it is the Rosetta Stone for understanding the interface that powers 99.9% of the world's integrated circuits.
A space-charge or depletion region is established, and the energy bands bend downward. Condition (for p-type): (exceeding the threshold voltage, Vthcap V sub t h end-sub While many texts (like Sze's Physics of Semiconductor
for high-dielectric constant (high-k) materials like Hafnium Oxide ( HfO2HfO sub 2
). The energy bands remain perfectly flat up to the physical interface. 2. The Three Operating Modes MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Physics and Technology
: Occurs when the applied voltage attracts majority carriers (e.g., holes in a p-type substrate) to the Si-SiO2Si-SiO sub 2 interface. Design integrated circuits with optimal performance
, targeting graduate students and research workers in electronics and electrical engineering. Harvard University Where to Access Official Purchase: Available through as part of the "Wiley Classics Library". Digital Archives: Can be borrowed or viewed on the Internet Archive or found via (like the MOS capacitor equations) or a downloadable PDF for a particular course? MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) Physics and Technology
While we have moved from aluminum gates to polysilicon and now to high-k metal gates, the underlying electrostatics described by Brews and Nicollian are universal. Modern engineers still use their methods to troubleshoot gate leakage, threshold voltage shifts, and carrier mobility degradation.
Nicollian and Brews pioneered the to map interface traps with unparalleled precision. By measuring the small-signal AC loss (conductance) as a function of frequency, engineers can determine the lifetime and density distribution of electronic traps at the oxide-semiconductor boundary. 2. Capacitance-Voltage (C-V) Analysis Nicollian and J
: Analysis of energy band diagrams to represent energy levels as a function of depth, crucial for understanding threshold voltage ( VTcap V sub cap T ) and flatband voltage ( VFBcap V sub cap F cap B end-sub Significance in the Field
Minority carriers cannot respond quickly enough; the capacitance is dominated by the depletion layer width.
: In a MOSFET, applying a voltage to the gate creates an electric field that induces a channel in the semiconductor substrate, allowing current to flow between two terminals (source and drain).
The fabrication of MOS transistors involves several key steps: