Lateral graphene-hBCN heterostructures as a platform for fully two-dimensional transistors

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) materials offer unique electronic properties for next-generation devices.
• Field-effect transistors (FETs) are fundamental components in modern electronics.
• Graphene's high conductivity and hexagonal boron-carbon-nitrogen (hBCN) domains' tunable bandgap present an opportunity for novel heterostructures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential of lateral graphene-hBCN heterostructures for fabricating high-performance 2D FETs.
• To explore the suitability of these heterostructures for logic transistors at advanced technology nodes (10 and 7 nm).
• To evaluate key performance metrics for digital electronics applications.

Main Methods:

• Ab initio and atomistic simulations were employed to model the electronic transport properties.
• The study focused on graphene-hBCN-graphene heterostructures within the FET channel.
• Performance metrics such as I(on)/I(off) ratio, delay time, and power-delay product were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Simulations demonstrate that graphene-hBCN heterostructures can effectively inhibit charge transport, enabling transistor switching.
• A 7 nm gate length FET achieved an I(on)/I(off) ratio exceeding 10^4 at 0.6 V supply voltage.
• The proposed FET design exhibits an intrinsic delay time of approximately 0.1 ps and a power-delay product of ~0.1 nJ/m.

Conclusions:

• Lateral graphene-hBCN heterostructures represent a powerful platform for fabricating 2D FETs.
• These devices meet or exceed the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors requirements for logic transistors at the 7 nm node.
• More complex heterostructures could enable multifunctional devices, drawing parallels with III-V heterostructure devices like resonant tunneling FETs.