Design and analysis of novel bilateral tunnelling based tunnel FET considering workfunction engineered metal strip for enhanced performance

Abstract

Steep tunnelling junction is a crucial factor in nanometer regime tunnel field effect transistor (TFET) to achieve superior switching characteristics. In this regard, a novel architecture integrating low workfunction live metal strip (LWMS) in bilateral tunnelling based dual gate oxide TFET (BT DGO-TFET) is presented in this manuscript. This incorporation of LWMS results in generation of steep tunnelling junction at the channel source interface, which increases the electron accumulation, and thus boosts the tunnelling generation rate. Hence, the proposed structure accomplishes steep subthreshold swing, boosted ON-state current to OFF-state current ratio and decremented threshold voltage as compared to the conventional BT DGO-TFET. Apart from that, length, position and workfunction of LWMS has been optimized in order to achieve optimum device parameters. Finally, parameters of the proposed architecture have been compared with the parameters of the conventional BT DGO-TFET and TFETs in the existing literature. The proposed device is observed to be highly suitable for analogue/RF and low power switching applications.