Performance analysis of nanoscale GeSn MOSFETs for mixed-mode circuit applications

Abstract

Using extensive numerical analysis we investigate the impact of Sn ranging 0–6% in compressively strained GeSn on insulator (GeSnOI) MOSFETs for mixed-mode circuit performance at channel lengths (Lg) ranging 100–20nm with channel thickness values of 10 and 5nm. Our results reveal that 10nm thick Ge0.94Sn0.06 channel MOSFETs produce improvement of peak transconductance gm, peak gain Av, peak cut-off frequency fT and maximum frequency of oscillations fmax by 80.5%, 18.8%, 83.5% and 81.7%, respectively compared with equivalent GeOI device at Lg =20nm. Furthermore, such devices exhibit 78.8% increase in ON-current ION while yield 44.5% reduction in delay as compared to Ge control devices enabling them attractive for logic applications. Thinning of the channel thickness from 10 to 5nm increases peak Av, peak transconductance efficiency and reduces output conductance and OFF-current IOFF while degrading other parameters in all GeSnOI and control Ge devices.