Improved Tunnel-FET inverter performance with SiGe/Si heterostructure nanowire TFETs by reduction of ambipolarity

Complementary MOSFET and Tunnel-FET inverters based on tri-gated strained Si nanowire arrays are demonstrated. The voltage transfer characteristics as well as the inverter supply currents of both inverter types are analyzed and compared. A degradation of the inverter output voltage is observed due to the ambipolar transfer characteristics of the symmetric homostructure TFET devices. Emulated TFET inverters based on the measured transfer characteristics of SiGe/Si heterostructure nanowire array n-channel TFETs with reduced ambipolarity demonstrate improved inverter switching for supply voltages down to VDD = 0.2 V.