Subthreshold Schottky-barrier thin-film transistors with ultralow power and high intrinsic gain

Abstract

The quest for low power becomes highly compelling in newly emerging application areas related to wearable devices in the Internet of Things. Here, we report on a Schottky-barrier indium-gallium-zinc-oxide thin-film transistor operating in the deep subthreshold regime (i.e., near the OFF state) at low supply voltages (<1 volt) and ultralow power (<1 nanowatt). By using a Schottky-barrier at the source and drain contacts, the current-voltage characteristics of the transistor were virtually channel-length independent with an infinite output resistance. It exhibited high intrinsic gain (>400) that was both bias and geometry independent. The transistor reported here is useful for sensor interface circuits in wearable devices where high current sensitivity and ultralow power are vital for battery-less operation.

Complementary Integrated Circuits Based on p-Type SnO and n-Type IGZO Thin-Film Transistors

“…Flexible IGZO Schottky diodes operating beyond 2.45 GHz have already satisfied the principal frequency of smart phones [5]. Subthreshold Schottky-barrier IGZO TFTs have been demonstrated to be useful for sensor interface circuits in wearable electronics [6]. On the another hand, p-type oxide semiconductors are far behind mainly because of low on/off ratio, low hole mobility, and high subgap trap density [3].…”

Fully Transparent Transceiver Using Single Binary Oxide Thin Film Transistors

“…Since the transparent material eliminates the need for backlighting in displays, this leads to low‐power displays that fit with the current era of low‐power electronics. Therefore, many researchers aim to develop transparent oxide semiconductors and contacts 8–11. One of the remarkable TCOs is indium tin oxide (ITO), which is widely being used in modern age electronics research and industries.…”

35‐2: Invited Paper: Field‐Coupled Thin‐Film Transistors for Emerging Non‐Display Applications

“…The question is: can a TFT consume the amount of power as low as a few Pico watts? Fortunately, very recent work on sub-threshold Schottky-barrier TFT might give a chance in this regard [10]. Indeed, the significant amount of research work is still required to further examine such a possibility.…”