Sub 0.5V Operation of Performance Driven Mobile Systems Based on Area Scaled Tunnel FET Devices

Abstract

Advanced mobile applications demand low power and high performance systems. In this paper, a technology computer aided design (TCAD)-based feasibility investigation of a recently proposed area tunneling field effect transistor (FET) structure is carried out from the point of high volume and ultralow power mobile applications. We demonstrate that for realization of future ultralow power and high performance systems, unique properties of area tunneling class of tunnel FET structures need to be employed. These devices are realized by engineering the tunneling region profile and tunneling cross-sectional area. The optimized devices are found to leverage up to ~ 7× energy reduction when compared with the 20-nm node MOS device options while meeting the high performance targets. Device design insights for such an area tunneling class of tunnel FET structures are discussed in this paper for the first time. It is shown that by lowering the supply voltage below 0.5 V, up to 10× reduction of the energy delay product is feasible by using area tunneling devices.