Open AccessThin‐film heterojunction field‐effect transistors with multiple subthreshold swings for large‐area/flexible electronics and displays
Author(s) -
Hekmatshoar B.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
electronics letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.375
H-Index - 146
eISSN - 1350-911X
pISSN - 0013-5194
DOI - 10.1049/el.2016.4597
Subject(s) - subthreshold conduction , electronic circuit , transistor , electronics , diode , electrical engineering , materials science , thin film transistor , optoelectronics , electronic engineering , computer science , voltage , engineering , nanotechnology , layer (electronics)
This Letter presents a technique for implementing circuits with multiple subthreshold swings. Such circuits are of particular interest to large‐area and flexible electronics, including active matrix displays and sensors. In these circuits, devices with large swings may be used for high‐precision analogue driving, whereas steep subthreshold devices may be used for fast and low‐power switching. This Letter demonstrates that large swings may be obtained by the series connection of diode structures to the source terminals of steep subthreshold devices. In principle, this technique is applicable to a wide range of thin‐film transistors, but it is particularly well suited for heterojunction field‐effect transistors where the gate heterojunctions may be readily utilised as diodes without altering the fabrication process or increasing the number of mask steps. Implementation of multiple subthreshold swings is demonstrated experimentally and described by a first‐order model.