Silicon-compatible compound semiconductor tunneling field-effect transistor for high performance and low standby power operation

In this study, we propose and characterize by simulation a silicon-compatible compound semiconductor tunneling field-effect transistor (TFET) based on germanium (Ge)/gallium arsenide (GaAs) heterojunction aiming the various integrated systems on silicon substrate. By introducing Ge as p ⁺ source and GaAs as the high-mobility channel and n ⁺ drain materials, we maximize on-state current (I _on) and minimize off-state current (I _off) to obtain a TFET for high performance and low standby power capabilities. The effects of physical parameters such as aluminum content, source-gate overlap length, and gate workfunction on device performance were examined thoroughly. Further, we evaluate its radio frequency performance and confirm that it shows superb current and power gain characteristics.