Ultra-high on-current in two-dimensional Tl₂O TFETs with tunneling width modulation

Tunneling field-effect transistors (TFETs) have attracted tremendous attention as post-complementary metal oxide semiconductor low-power-dissipation devices. Based on the band-to-band tunneling mechanism, TFETs hold the potential for suppressing the subthreshold swing (SS) below 60 mV dec⁻¹. However, the relatively low on-state current compared with metal-oxide-semiconductor FETs hinders the practical application of the traditional TFETs. Herein, we propose that two-dimensional (2D) Tl₂O possesses a direct and moderate bandgap, small effective mass for electrons and holes, unique threefold degenerate, and strong anisotropic electronic structures, which is suitable for the channel material of the pocket-doped TFETs. Benefiting from the reduced tunneling width led by the pocket, the 2D Tl₂O TFET with a 10-nm gate length possesses an ultra-high on-state current of 3449 µA µm⁻¹ with a sub-thermal SS of 49 mV dec⁻¹. Notably, the on-state current increases to 441% compared with no pocket doping and successfully meets the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) high-performance requests for the year 2028. This work demonstrates the great potential of 2D Tl₂O pocket TFETs for next-generation low-power-dissipation and high-performance nanoelectronics.