High performance tunnel field-effect transistor by gate and source engineering

• Published in: Nanotechnology Vol. 25; no. 50; p. 505201
• Main Authors: Huang, Ru, Huang, Qianqian, Chen, Shaowen, Wu, Chunlei, Wang, Jiaxin, An, Xia, Wang, Yangyuan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 19.12.2014; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Devices; dopant segregation; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Field effect transistors; Gates; Molecular electronics, nanoelectronics; MOSFETs; Nanostructure; Semiconductor devices; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Slopes; subthreshold slope; Switching; Transistors; tunnel field-effect transistors; Tunnels (transportation); Silicon on insulator technology; Field effect transistor; MOSFET; Complementary MOS technology; Tunnel effect; High field; Logic gate; Tunnel transistors; Switching; Gates; Nanoelectronics
• ISSN: 0957-4484; 1361-6528
• DOI: 10.1088/0957-4484/25/50/505201

As one of the most promising candidates for future nanoelectronic devices, tunnel field-effect transistors (TFET) can overcome the subthreshold slope (SS) limitation of MOSFET, whereas high ON-current, low OFF-current and steep switching can hardly be obtained at the same time for experimental TFETs. In this paper, we developed a new nanodevice technology based on TFET concepts. By designing the gate configuration and introducing the optimized Schottky junction, a multi-finger-gate TFET with a dopant-segregated Schottky source (mFSB-TFET) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. A steeper SS can be achieved in the fabricated mFSB-TFET on the bulk Si substrate benefiting from the coupled quantum band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) mechanism, as well as a high ION IOFF ratio (∼107) at VDS = 0.2 V without an area penalty. By compatible SOI CMOS technology, the fabricated Si mFSB-TFET device was further optimized with a high ION IOFF ratio of ∼108 and a steeper SS of over 5.5 decades of current. A minimum SS of below 60 mV dec−1 was experimentally obtained, indicating its dominant quantum BTBT mechanism for switching.