Figure of Merit for and Identification of Sub-60 mV/Decade Devices

A figure of merit I₆₀ is proposed for sub-60 mV/decade devices as the highest current where the input characteristics exhibit a transition from sub- to super-60 mV/decade behavior. For sub-60 mV/decade devices to be competitive with metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect devices, I₆₀ has to be in the 1-10 μA/μm range. The best experimental tunnel field-effect transistors (TFETs) in the literature only have an I₆₀ of 6 x 10⁻³ μA/μm but using theoretical simulations, we show that an I₆₀ of up to 10 μA/μm should be attainable. It is proven that the Schottky barrier FET (SBFET) has a 60 mV/decade subthreshold swing limit while combining a SBFET and a TFET does improve performance.