Vertical Field-Effect Transistors (VFETs) based on two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit significant potential for achieving the ultimate scaling limit of integrated circuits. However, VFETs face critical performance limitations attributable to elect...
Vertical Field-Effect Transistors (VFETs) based on two-dimensional (2D) materials exhibit significant potential for achieving the ultimate scaling limit of integrated circuits. However, VFETs face critical performance limitations attributable to electron tunneling leakage from the extremely short vertical transport length and adverse interface defects induced by metal deposition, which significantly degrade the on/off current ratio.
This study advances a multifaceted interface engineering strategy to address this performance degradation. Initially, the formation of an ultrathin tungsten oxide layer via an oxidation process successfully realized a physical tunneling blockade. This layer effectively suppressed leakage current, substantially improving the VFET's on/off ratio and substantiating the efficacy of the physical blocking mechanism.
To circumvent the fixed characteristics and processing limitations of the inorganic approach, this study pioneered an active interface control strategy utilizing the Dinaphtho[2,3-b:2′,3′-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) organic semiconductor (OSC) as a functional interlayer. The DNTT film was formed via a low-energy, layer-by-layer growth mode, which provides a critical processing prerogative by precluding the structural damage to the 2D channel associated with high-energy deposition. The DNTT-integrated device exhibited a remarkable performance amplification, achieving an on/off current ratio magnified by a factor of nearly 104 Crucially, DNTT was elucidated not as a passive insulator but as an electronic functional layer that dynamically modulates the potential barrier via the applied gate voltage. This active barrier modulation mechanism optimizes channel performance by boosting charge injection while curtailing leakage.
By integrating the study of physical barriers (tungsten oxide) and active electronic barrier control (OSC), this dissertation establishes a comprehensive and extensible design platform for high-performance 2D VFETs, constituting a significant academic and technological contribution.