Revised theoretical limit of subthreshold swing in field-effect transistors

Abstract

This letter reports a temperature-dependent limit for the subthreshold swing in MOSFETs that deviates from the Boltzmann limit at deep-cryogenic temperatures. Below a critical temperature, the derived limit saturates to a value that is independent of temperature and proportional to the extent of a band tail. Since the saturation is universally observed in different types of MOSFETs (regardless of dimension or semiconductor material), the band tail is attributed to the finite periodicity of the lattice in a semiconductor volume, and to a lesser extent to additional lattice perturbations such as defects or disorder.