Heterojunction Tunneling Transistors Using Gate-Controlled Tunneling Across Silicon–Germanium/Silicon Epitaxial Thin Films

Tunneling transistors that incorporate in the gated source an elevated p
⁺
Si
_0.6
Ge
_0.4
/n
^-
Si heterojunction and a HfO
₂
/WN gate stack are constructed. XTEM images show in tact epitaxial SiGe with sub-10-nm thickness. The current/voltage characteristics within 77 K-300 K show behavior consistent with gate-controlled tunneling over several decades of current. Simulations using a nonlocal tunneling model support a tunneling process that occurs across the heterojunction. There is sufficient gate modulation of the surface potential at the p
⁺
SiGe/gate-insulator interface to provide the band overlap and band bending for band-to-band tunneling (BTBT). The transfer and output characteristics are considerably improved over previous devices that used buried SiGe films, ion-implanted junctions, and SiO
₂
di-electrics, resulting in a reduced minimum subthreshold slope and an increased current drive with identical biasing. Also, due to the asymmetry in this structure and suppression of drain BTBT, I
_on
/I
_off
>; 10
⁵
is achieved with V
_dd
= 2.5 V.