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Negative-to-Positive Differential Resistance Transition in Ferroelectric FET: Physical Insight and Utilization in
This study details the negative differential resistance (NDR) to positive differential resistance (PDR) transition in ferroelectric negative capacitance FETs. The transition is controlled by voltage and interface charges, enabling novel current mirror and amplifier designs with enhanced gain.
Area of Science:
- Semiconductor device physics
- Ferroelectric materials
- Advanced transistor technologies
Background:
- Negative capacitance (NC) field-effect transistors (FETs) offer potential for steeper subthreshold slopes.
- Understanding the transition from negative differential resistance (NDR) to positive differential resistance (PDR) is crucial for device applications.
- Ferroelectric (FE) materials are key to achieving NC effects in FETs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a detailed physical insight into the NDR-to-PDR transition in ferroelectric negative capacitance FETs.
- To investigate the dependence of this transition on device terminal voltages and parameters.
- To explore the application of this transition in designing novel electronic circuits.
Main Methods:
- Utilized extensive and well-calibrated TCAD simulations.
- Investigated the phenomenon on fully depleted silicon on insulator (FDSOI)-NCFET devices.
- Employed device terminal voltage modulation and body bias (V_BB) for control.
Main Results:
- The NDR-to-PDR transition is linked to ferroelectric layer capacitance changes during channel pinchoff.
- A valley point in the output characteristic (IDS-VDS) signifies infinite output resistance at the transition.
- Modulating V_BB and interface oxide charges effectively controls the transition location and speed.
- Designed a current mirror with reduced output current variation (~8% to ~2%) using V_BB.
- Designed a common source amplifier achieving ~25% higher gain in the NDR region compared to the transition region.
Conclusions:
- The NDR-to-PDR transition in FE-NCFETs is a controllable phenomenon exploitable for circuit design.
- Body bias and interface charge engineering are effective methods for tuning this transition.
- FE-NCFETs demonstrate significant potential for high-gain amplifier applications and improved current mirrors.
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