Schottky barrier thin-film transistor (SBTFT) with silicided source/drain and field-induced drain extension

A novel Schottky barrier thin-film transistor (SBTFT) with silicided source/drain and field-induced drain (FID) extension is proposed and demonstrated. In the new device configuration, a metal field-plate (or sub-gate) lying on the passivation oxide is employed to induce a sheet of carriers in a channel offset region located between the silicided drain and the active channel region underneath the main-gate. The new device thus allows ambipolar device operation by simply switching the polarity of the bias applied to the field plate. In contrast to the conventional SBTFT that suffers from high GIDL (gate-induced drain leakage)-like off-state leakage current, the new SBTFT with FID is essentially free from the GIDL-like leakage current. In addition, unlike the conventional SBTFT that suffers from the low on-off current ratio, the new device exhibits high on/off current ratio up to 10(6) for both n- and p-channel modes of operation. Moreover, the implantless feature and the ambipolar capability of the new device also result in extra low mask count for CMOS processes integration. These excellent device characteristics, coupled with its simple processing, make the new device very promising for future large-area electronic applications.