Feedback and tunneling operations of a p ⁺-i-n ⁺ silicon nanowire field-effect transistor

In this paper, we describe the feedback and tunneling operations of a dual top gate field-effect transistor (FET) with a p ⁺-i-n ⁺ doped silicon nanowire channel. The transistor functions selectively in either a feedback FET (FBFET) or a tunneling FET mode by modulating the source-to-drain voltage, and it features an outstanding subthreshold swing characteristic of 6.15 mV dec^-1 with an on/off current ratio (I _on/I _off) of approximately 10⁶ in the feedback operating mode and of 41.3 mV dec^-1 with I _on/I _off of ∼10⁷ in the tunneling operating mode. Moreover, our device in the FBFET operation mode has memory characteristics with a retention time of 10⁴ s and a program/erase endurance up to 10³ cycles owing to the positive feedback loop in the channel region. This study demonstrates the promising potential of our devices in the development of multifunctional electronics.