Design of GeSn-Based Heterojunction-Enhanced N-Channel Tunneling FET With Improved Subthreshold Swing and ON-State Current

• Published in: IEEE transactions on electron devices 2015-04, Vol.62 (4), p.1262-1268
• Main Authors: Mingshan Liu, Yan Liu, Hongjuan Wang, Qingfang Zhang, Chunfu Zhang, Shengdong Hu, Yue Hao, Genquan Han
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Band-to-band tunneling (BTBT); Educational institutions; Germanium-Tin (GeSn); Heterojunctions; heterostructure; Performance evaluation; Photonic band gap; Semiconductor process modeling; steep subthreshold swing (SS); Tin; Tunneling; tunneling FET (TFET)
• ISSN: 0018-9383; 1557-9646
• DOI: 10.1109/TED.2015.2403571

We design a heterojunction-enhanced n-channel tunneling FET (HE-NTFET) employing a Ge 1-x Sn x /Ge 1-y Sn y (x > y) heterojunction located in the channel region with a distance of L T-H from the source-channel tunneling junction. We investigate the impact of L T-H on the performance of HE-NTFETs by simulation. HE-NTFETs achieve a positive shift of VONSET, a steeper subthreshold swing (SS), and an enhanced ION compared with homo-NTFETs, which is attributed to the modulating effect of heterojunction on band-to-band tunneling (BTBT). At a supply voltage of 0.3 V, 304% ION enhancement is demonstrated in the Ge 0.92 Sn 0.08 /Ge 0.94 Sn 0.06 HE-NTFET with a 4 nm L T-H over Ge0.92Sn0.08 homo-NTFET due to the steeper average SS. The impact of Sn composition on the performance of HE-NTFETs is also studied. As we increase the difference in Sn composition x - y across the heterojunction, ION and SS of HE-NTFETs are improved due to the increase in band offsets at the Ge 1-x Sn x /Ge 1-y Sn y interface, which leads to the enhanced modulating effect of heterojunction on BTBT.