High-frequency benchmark circuit design for a sub 50 nm CNTFET technology

The acceptance of an emerging revolutionary process technology for circuit and system design depends significantly on (i) unique device features provided by the technology, (ii) a reliable fabrication process, and (iii) a suitable transistor compact model for circuit design and simulation. Carbon nanotube (CNT) field-effect transistors (FETs) belong to a group of emerging technologies for 1D-electronics which might have the potential to replace an existing semiconductor process technology due to their unique intrinsic properties, especially in the field of analog high-frequency (HF) circuit applications such as amplifiers, oscillators and mixers. The recent progress in CNTFET process technologies has increased the demand for suitable compact models. This paper focuses on the application of a recently developed physics-based compact model TCAM for the design of analog HF circuits. In addition, the impact of important CNTFET technology parameters on the behavior of selected HF benchmark circuits is studied.