Contact-engineered reconfigurable two-dimensional Schottky junction field-effect transistor with low leakage currents

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Nanoelectronics

Background:

• Two-dimensional (2D) materials are promising for low-power integrated circuits.
• Existing 2D transistors often suffer from high leakage currents and low on/off ratios due to ambipolar transport.
• Need for reconfigurable devices with improved performance characteristics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To realize a reconfigurable Schottky junction field-effect transistor (SJFET) with switchable polarity.
• To achieve high on/off ratios and suppressed leakage currents in 2D transistors.
• To explore applications in low-power photovoltaic logic circuits.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an SJFET utilizing an asymmetric van der Waals contact geometry.
• Characterization of electrical transport properties, including on/off ratios and leakage currents.
• Investigation of rectifying behavior and photovoltaic performance.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated a reconfigurable SJFET with balanced and switchable n- and p-unipolarity.
• Achieved an Ids on/off ratio exceeding 10^6 with static leakage power suppressed to 10^-5 nW.
• Observed reversible Schottky rectification with an ideality factor of ~1.0 and tunable rectifying ratios.
• Showcased reconfigurable photovoltaic performance with switched open-circuit voltage and photo-responsivity signs.

Conclusions:

• The polarity-reversible SJFET offers a viable solution for overcoming limitations of conventional 2D transistors.
• This device enables reconfigurable logic functionalities with significantly reduced power consumption.
• Paves the way for developing advanced 2D electronic devices for energy-efficient applications.