Systematic Characterization of Tunnel FETs Using a Universal Compact Model

We propose a novel systematic procedure to individually characterize relevant physical phenomena that typify tunnel FETs (TFETs) in general. The procedure uses the Lambert $W$ function to explicitly solve the subthreshold and above-threshold transfer characteristics of TFETs, as described by a recently proposed universal TFET compact model based on Kane's tunneling formulation. The resulting explicit analytic solutions may be used to numerically calculate, and thus to reveal, the terminal voltage-dependent functionalities of the device's subthreshold current swing and effective electric field. The description of the output characteristics' gate-to-source voltage dependence and saturation is also part of the procedure. The resulting functional representations of the relevant features constitute useful tools for basic device analysis and design, as well as for formulating specific mathematical descriptive models of these features. Atomistic, quantum-mechanical simulated data of an InAs homojunction TFET are used as an example to numerically and graphically illustrate the proposed characterization procedure.