Novel III-N heterostructure devices for low-power logic and more

Future ultra-scaled logic and low-power systems require fundamental advances in semiconductor device technology. Due to power constraints, device concepts capable of achieving switching slopes (SS) steeper than 60 mV/decade are essential if scaling of conventional computational architectures is to continue. Likewise, ultra low power systems also benefit from devices capable of maintaining performance under low-voltage operation. Towards this end, tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs) are one promising alternative. While much work has been devoted to realizing TFETs in Si, Ge, and narrow-gap III–V materials, the use of III-N heterostructures and the exploitation of polarization engineering offers some unique opportunities. From physics-based simulations, performance of GaN/InGaN/GaN heterostructure TFETs appear capable of delivering average SS approaching 20 mV/decade over 4 decades of drain current, and on-current densities exceeding 100 µA/µm in aggressively scaled nanowire configurations. Experimental progress towards realizing III-N based TFETs includes demonstration of GaN/InGaN/GaN backward tunnel diodes by both MOCVD and MBE, and nanowires grown selectively by MBE and used as the basis for device fabrication.