Device simulation of layer dependence on 10-nm-gate MoS2 transistors

Abstract

The layer-dependent performance of two-dimensional transistors is a compelling subject that has not been extensively investigated. In this study, we systematically examine the layer dependence of device performance in 10-nm-gate MoS2 metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) under varying doping concentrations using ab initio quantum transport simulations. The optimal monolayer (ML) MoS2 MOSFET delivers superior p-type performance compared to its bilayer (BL) and trilayer (TL) counterparts for both low-power (LP) and high-performance (HP) applications, as demonstrated by higher on-state current, shorter delay time, lower energy-delay product, and improved subthreshold swing—exceeding the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (IRDS) LP and HP targets. Notably, the optimized BL MoS2 MOSFETs exhibit nearly symmetric n- and p-type performance, offering a distinct advantage over ML and TL configurations, while also meeting the IRDS HP benchmarks. This unique combination of symmetry and superior performance makes BL MoS2 a particularly promising candidate for logic circuits.