Diode Characteristics of a Super-Steep Subthreshold Slope PN-Body Tied SOI-FET for Energy Harvesting Applications

In this paper, the diode characteristics of our newly proposed super-steep subthreshold slope “PN-body tied (PNBT) silicon-on-insulator field-effect transistor” are presented, and compared with conventional diodes. We report that the device possesses super-steep characteristics, low leakage current, and sharp turn-on characteristics, even in the ultralow voltage range (50 mV). These indicate that the PNBT diode can potentially be used in high-efficiency rectification for energy harvesting, particularly in situations where there is ultralow input power. In addition, the hysteresis characteristics and the slight shift of the voltage at zero current are confirmed as specific characteristics of PNBT diodes.