This forced a technological revolution: high-κ dielectrics (HfO₂, ZrO₂) with metal gates (TiN, TaN). Thicker physical layer (to block tunneling) but same electrical capacitance (C = κε₀/t_ox). Nicollian & Brews’ C-V theory still holds, but now with multiple dielectric layers (interfacial SiO₂ + high-κ).
As we approach the atomic limit, new materials and switching mechanisms will emerge, but the MOS structure will remain the foundational platform for future logic, memory, and sensing technologies. ZrO₂) with metal gates (TiN
Nicollian and Brews provided the first truly comprehensive treatment of how these surfaces behave. Their work moved beyond idealized models to address the messy, real-world complexities of interface states, oxide charges, and doping gradients. Key Concepts in MOS Physics real-world complexities of interface states