Transconductance Linearity Analysis of 1-D, Nanowire FETs in the Quantum Capacitance Limit

The impact of channel material and dimensionality on the linearity of nanowire transistors is studied theoretically. This paper also evaluates various scattering mechanisms in this context. While operating under 1-D transport conditions in the quantum capacitance limit, the achievable device linearity strongly depends on the details of the scattering mechanisms limiting the transport. Interestingly, it is not only the scattering length that determines the third-order intercept point but also the particular energy dependence of the dominant-scattering mechanism that needs to be considered. Our results provide critical insights for the choice of material to obtain the desired device linearity.