In this work we present a theoretical study of the quantization in a p-type FD/SOI device with confinement in the main crystalline directions. To carry out this study, we solved the Schrodinger effective mass equation, taking into consideration non-parabolicity, warping and degeneracy of the silicon valence band. We investigated the relative populations of the lowest subbands, and proposed a set of subbands for the efficient analysis of hole dynamics. We also evaluated the phonon and interface roughness scattering rates to provide a qualitative picture of how confinement direction influences those rates. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.