Non-Linear Temperature Dependence in Graphene Nanoribbon Tunneling Transistors

It is usually assumed that tunneling current is fairly independent of temperature. By performing an atomistic transport simulation, we show, to the contrary, that the subthreshold tunneling current in a graphene nanoribbon (GNR) band-to-band tunneling transistor (TFET) should show significant and non-linear temperature dependence. Furthermore, the nature of this non-linearity changes as a function of source/drain doping and vertical electric field, indicating that such non-linearity, if properly understood, may provide important insights into the tunneling phenomena. Finally, by developing a pseudo-analytical method, we predict that such temperature dependence is not unique to GNR but should rather be a general behavior for any band-to-band tunneling transistor independent of the channel material.