Performance enhancement of metal-oxide-semiconductor tunneling temperature sensors with nanoscale oxides by employing ultrathin Al2O3 high-k dielectrics

Abstract

We demonstrated a promising route for enhancing temperature sensitivity, improving saturation voltage, and reducing power consumption of the MOS(p) tunneling temperature sensors by introducing ultrathin Al₂O₃ into the dielectric stacks. Detailed illustrations of the working mechanism and device concept are given in this work. Three kinds of MOS(p) tunneling temperature sensors with nanoscale SiO₂, HfO₂, and Al₂O₃ dielectrics were compared comprehensively. For Al₂O₃ MOS(p) devices with an equivalent oxide thickness of 2 nm, the sensing performance was effectively improved and the temperature-sensitive current–voltage characteristics are reliable and reproducible. The low-temperature processing Al₂O₃ MOS(p) tunneling temperature sensors are potential candidates for temperature monitoring sensors on chips or biomedical systems under low thermal budget processing consideration.