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Energy efficiency has become the main concern of IC technology. Tunnel FET (TFET) is recognized to possess the superiority of energy efficiency over MOSFET at ultralow voltage, while variability might limit the voltage reduction and thus the energy saving. Recently, device source doping gradient (SDG) is found to be the dominant variation source in TFET. In this paper, for the first time, with the awareness of SDG variation, the energy efficiency of TFET-based circuits with different activity factors ( $\alpha $ ) is comprehensively reassessed and the device optimization strategy is provided. It is found that the superiority of energy efficiency of TFET will significantly decrease especially for the more active circuit due to the inherent tradeoff between SDG variation and nominal SDG. Based on the quantitative relationship between SDG variation and nominal SDG extracted from the experimental devices, the optimal design of tunnel junction abruptness to maximize the circuit energy efficiency is obtained, leading to significant energy efficiency improvements of TFET-based circuit over MOSFET even for circuit with high $\alpha $. This paper provides helpful device design guidelines for TFET with device variability awareness from the perspective of circuit energy efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the important sources of low-frequency noise, random telegraph noise (RTN) in tunnel FET (TFET) has attracted growing attention recently. However, there is still lack of explanation for the high-amplitude RTN, which may cause serious variability and reliability problems to TFET-based ultralow-power circuits. In this paper, we experimentally investigate the RTN amplitude characteristics in TFETs, revealing the mechanism of high-amplitude RTN. It is found that the nonuniform distribution of band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) generation rate along device width direction is responsible for the high-amplitude RTN. Locations with relatively higher BTBT generation rate may act as critical paths dominating the device current. “Lucky” trap located at a critical path can induce the high-amplitude RTN. With device width shrinking, the number of critical paths may be reduced, resulting in much higher maximum RTN amplitude. In addition, the impacts of process parameters on RTN amplitude are discussed. Both higher source doping concentration ( \textN\text {S}) and higher thermal budget can effectively mitigate the nonuniformity of BTBT generation rate along device width direction, causing suppressed RTN amplitudes. Considering that the higher thermal budget may lead to degraded device performance, the annealing process should compromisingly be designed in terms of both variation and device performance. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, an analytical model of the channel surface potential in the tunnel field effect transistors (TFETs) is established and verified. The dual-modulation effects in TFETs that the surface potential of the channel is alternatively controlled by the gate bias and drain bias in different operating regimes are emphasized and studied. The transition point corresponding to the switching between the two operating regimes is also analyzed quantitatively. For the first time, a closed-form analytical model of the surface potential in TFETs, including the impacts of both the gate voltage and drain voltage is proposed. Furthermore, a compact current model of the TFET-based on the derived surface potential expression is given. The model predicted tunneling current agree well with the TCAD simulation results in all operating regions of TFETs, which will be helpful for the circuit properties simulation of the TFET. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the impacts of interface traps on tunneling FET (TFET) are examined in terms of different trap energies and distributions, charge neutrality level (CNL), and effects of random trap fluctuation, in comparison with MOSFET. It is found that the Vth shifts and subthreshold swing (SS) degradation induced by interface traps in TFET and MOSFET have the same trends, but the impacts on $I_{{\rm \scriptstyle ON}}$ are different because of the novel conduction mechanism of TFETs when compared with MOSFETs. Moreover, nTFET is intrinsically more immune (or susceptible) to Vth shift induced by acceptor- (or donor-) type interface traps than nMOSFET. Therefore, reducing the potential degradation induced by the interface traps can be achieved by optimizing the position of CNL. The results indicate that nTFET is more immune to the Vth shift than nMOSFET with CNL below a critical energy. In addition, the trap-induced SS degradation of TFET is severer than MOSFET in electrostatics. Moreover, it is found that the $I_{{\rm \scriptstyle ON}}$ , Vth , and $I_{{\rm \scriptstyle OFF}}$ fluctuations in nMOSFET and nTFET are also dependent on the position of CNL. With CNL below the critical energy, the $I_{{\rm \scriptstyle ON}}$ fluctuation and Vth fluctuation of nTFET are smaller than those of nMOSFET. The results are helpful for the interface optimization of TFETs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]