Sensitivity Assessment of RingFET Architecture for the Detection of Gas Molecules: Numerical Investigation

Abstract

TCAD-based numerical investigation of RingFET has been presented in this paper for the detection of gas molecules. Sensitivity of the device has been assessed by calculating the change in off-state current with the change in gate work-function (which changes due to the presence of gas molecule). The behavior of the device has also been compared with the equivalent bulk MOSFET and it was observed that RingFET architecture shows 23% higher sensitivity against gas molecules than equivalent bulk MOSFET. Also, the degradation in device sensitivity with applied drain bias is higher in bulk MOSFET. Optimization in the sensitivity parameter has been done by using different channel materials like GaN, InGaN, and GaAs. Compared to GaAs and silicon, GaN-based RingFET is more sensitive towards gas molecules in the sub-threshold region (due to the wider band gap) besides having lower drain current than GaAs and silicon-based RingFET.

KEYWORDS:

• Compound semiconductor
• RingFET
• Sensitivity
• TCAD

Acknowledgements

One of the authors (Vandana Kumari) would like to thank the Department of Electronic Science, University of Delhi South.

Additional information

Funding

Authors would like to thank University Grant Commission [File no. 45287/2014(SR)] for providing necessary support to carry out this work.

Notes on contributors

Vandana Kumari

Vandana Kumari was born in New Delhi, India, in 1986. She received the BSc (Gen), MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Delhi, Delhi, India in 2006, 2009, and 2014, respectively. Currently, she is an assistance professor in Maharaja Agrasen College, University of Delhi. Her research interests are in modeling and simulation of unconventional MOSFET architectures. She has authored more than 30 papers in international journals and conferences. Email: [email protected]

Manoj Saxena

Manoj Saxena received PhD degree from the University of Delhi in 2006. Presently, he is an associate professor in Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, University of Delhi. He has authored/co-authored more than 240 technical papers in international journals and conferences in the areas of analytical modeling and simulation of FET. He is a senior member of IEEE, fellow of IETE and member of National Academy of Sciences India (NASI), Allahabad, India, Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK, and International Association of Engineers, Hong Kong, Life Member of Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), Young Associate of Indian Academy of Sciences (IAS), Bangalore, India. He is also a Distinguished Lecturer, IEEE Electron Devices Society. Email: [email protected]

Mridula Gupta

Mridula Gupta received PhD degree in optoelectronics from the University of Delhi, India, in 1998. Since 1989, she has been with the Department of Electronic Science, University of Delhi South Campus, India, and is currently a Professor. She has authored or co-authored more than 390 publications in international and national journals and conference proceedings. Her current research interests include modeling and simulation of MOSFETs, MESFETs, HEMTs, for microwave applications and tunnel field effect transistor for biosensing application. She is a senior member of IEEE, fellow of IETE and Chair Person of IEEE EDS Delhi chapter. Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]