Enhanced-Performance Germanium Nanowire Tunneling Field-Effect Transistors Using Flash-Assisted Rapid Thermal Process

We report the enhanced performance of Ge nanowire (NW) tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs), realized using a millisecond flash-assisted rapid thermal process (fRTP) for dopant activation. The electrical characteristics of our fRTP-activated NW TFETs exhibit maximum drive currents up toI_max ~ 28 μA/μm at V_dd = -3 V and improved subthreshold swings. By comparison, NW TFETs realized using conventional RTP for dopant activation show an order of magnitude lower current. We attribute these findings to a more abrupt doping profile at the tunnel junction, owing to reduced dopant diffusion and improved dopant activation.