Analyzing the impact of drain-engineered DG GNR-TFET on analog/RF performance metrics

Abstract

This paper presents a novel drain-engineered (DE) double-gate (DG) graphene nanoribbon (GNR) tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) designed to address the limitations of conventional DG GNR-TFETs. The proposed device introduces a p+-n–n configuration, replacing the conventional p+-i-n+ structure by incorporating uniform n-type doping (Ncd) in both the channel and drain regions. This structural modification enhances the electric field at the source-channel junction, significantly improving ON-state band-to-band tunneling (BTBT) current. The performance of the optimized GNR-TFET is evaluated by varying Ncd, and the optimal configuration with Ncd = 2.5 × 1012 cm−2 exhibits: a 5.5-order reduction in ambipolar current (IAMB) and an improvement in the ION/IOFF ratio by ~6.88 × 104%. Furthermore, the device demonstrates superior analog and RF performance, including: ~1.4% increase in transconductance (gm), a ~189% enhancement in the transconductance generation factor (TGF), and ~46.2% rise in the cut-off frequency (fT). These improvements establish the proposed DE-DG GNR-TFET as a high-performance, energy-efficient candidate for next-generation electronic and RF applications. Additionally, the optimal device exhibits superior derived RF performance, achieving enhancements of 52.2% in the transconductance frequency product (TFP), 60.3% in the gain frequency product (GFP), and 216% in the gain transfer frequency product (GTFP). Finally, a linearity analysis is conducted to compare the DE-DG GNR-TFET with the conventional GNR-TFET, further validating the effectiveness of uniform n-type doping. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2025.