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Controlling the ambipolar current in ultrathin SOI tunnel FETs using the back-bias effect

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Abstract

A two-dimensional (2-D) technology computer-aided design (TCAD)-based simulation study of the back bias in the ultrathin silicon-on-insulator (SOI) tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) is presented. The transfer characteristics of a conventional TFET called the back-bias TFET (BB-TFET) depend on the back bias and the oxide thickness below the TFET epitaxial layer. The back bias affects the electric field at the source/channel and drain/channel junctions, hence both the ON-state current (\(I_{\mathrm{ON}}\)) and the ambipolar current (\(I_{\mathrm{AMB}}\)) reduce with a negative back-bias voltage. This reduction in \(I_{\mathrm{ON}}\) is not desirable in a TFET, hence a modified TFET structure called the back-bias underdrain TFET (BBUD-TFET) is proposed. In the BBUD-TFET, the back bias is applied on a p-Si pocket placed under the drain region, which is isolated using an ultrathin oxide. The back bias in the proposed BBUD-TFET mainly affects the electric field at the drain/channel interface, having a negligible impact on the source/channel interface. The BBUD-TFET structure is analyzed with \({\mathrm{SiO}}_2\) or \({\mathrm{HfO}}_2\) as the gate oxide. In the BBUD-TFET with \({\mathrm{HfO}}_2\) as the gate oxide, the back bias completely suppresses the ambipolar current without reducing \(I_{\mathrm{ON}}\). Furthermore, the oxide thickness and back-bias voltage are optimized for the BBUD-TFET structure. In this study, 2-D TCAD simulations are carried out to investigate and analyze the performance of the BB-TFET and BBUD-TFET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, G. B. Pant Institute of Engineering and Technology, Pauri, 246194, Uttarakhand, India

    Tripuresh Joshi, Balraj Singh & Yashvir Singh

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  1. Tripuresh Joshi
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  2. Balraj Singh
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Correspondence to Balraj Singh.

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Joshi, T., Singh, B. & Singh, Y. Controlling the ambipolar current in ultrathin SOI tunnel FETs using the back-bias effect. J Comput Electron 19, 658–667 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10825-020-01484-8

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