Steep-Switching Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator (FDSOI) Phase-Transition Field-Effect Transistor With Optimized HfO₂/Al₂O₃-Multilayer-Based Threshold Switching Device

Abstract

The OFF-state resistance (R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">OFF</sub> ) and threshold voltage (V <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">T</sub> ) of a HfO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> -based threshold-switching (TS) device for phase-transition fully depleted siliconon-insulator (FDSOI) device on silicon substrate can be improved, e.g., ROFF is increased by implementing a multilayered HfO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> /Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> (rather than HfO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> layer only). The HfO <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> /Al <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sub> O <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> layer with the atomic layer deposition (ALD) cycle ratio of 3:1 (i.e., Hf:Al = 3:1) shows approximately 3.47 × 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">11</sup> Ω of average ROFF and approximately 2.12 V of average VT. Next, VT can be modulated by adjusting the work function of the bottom electrode. We demonstrate that a high work function of the bottom electrode results in stronger built-in electric-field and tunneling, decreasing VT and ROFF. The Hf <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">3</sub> Al1-based TS device with platinum electrode shows approximately 0.88 V of average VT and approximately 2.81 × 10 <sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">9</sup> Ω of average ROFF. The phase-transition FDSOI device used in this work is fabricated by connecting the optimized TS device in series to the drain electrode of a baseline FDSOI device, whose channel length is 130 nm. The phase-transition FDSOI device shows the minimum subthreshold slope of 9 mV/decade owing to the abrupt resistive switching of the TS device. Additionally, it exhibits an increase in the ON/OFF-state current ratio by three times because of high R <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">OFF</sub> .