Nanoscale Schottky barrier metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are explored by using quantum mechanism effects for thin-body devices. The results suggest that for small nonnegative Schottky barrier heights, even for zero barrier height, the tunnelling current also plays a role in the total on-state current. Owing to the thin body of device, quantum confinement raises the electron energy levels in the silicon, and the tradeoff takes place between the quantum confinement energy and Schottky barrier lowering (SBL). It is concluded that the inclusion of the quantum mechanism effect in this model, which considers an infinite rectangular well with a first-order perturbation in the channel, can lead to the good agreement with numerical result for thin silicon film. The error increases with silicon thickness increasing. Nanoscale Schottky barrier metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) are explored by using quantum mechanism effects for thin-body devices. The results suggest that for small nonnegative Schottky barrier heights, even for zero barrier height, the tunneling current also plays a role in the total on-state current. Owing to the thin body of device, quantum confinement raises the electron energy levels in the silicon, and the tradeoff takes place between the quantum confinement energy and Schottky barrier lowering (SBL). It is concluded that the inclusion of the quantum mechanism effect in this model, which considers an infinite rectangular well with a first-order perturbation in the channel, can lead to the good agreement with numerical result for thin silicon film.