Low-power tunneling transistor for high-performance devices feasible

Transmission electron microscope cross-section of the vertical TFET. The interface of the source and channel is the point where electron tunneling occurs. ILD is the interlayer dielectric separating the. Top plane are Gold (Au), Palladium (Pd), and Molybdenum (Mo). WASHINGTON, D.C. A new type of transistor that could make possible fast and low-power computing devices for energy-constrained applications such as smart sensor networks, implantable medical electronics and ultra-mobile computing is feasible, according to Penn State researchers. Called a near broken-gap tunnel field effect transistor (TFET), the new device uses the quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons through an ultrathin energy barrier to provide high current at low voltage. Penn State, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and IQE, a specialty wafer manufacturer, jointly presented their findings at the International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington, D.C. The IEDM meeting includes representatives from all of the major chip companies and is the recognized forum for reporting breakthroughs in semiconductor and electronic technologies.