Ultimate device scaling: Intrinsic performance comparisons of carbon-based, InGaAs, and Si field-effect transistors for 5 nm gate length

We use a single, multi-dimensional, and atomistic quantum transport simulator to investigate how far carbon nanotube, graphene nanoribbon, InGaAs, and Si ultra-thin body and nanowire n-type field-effect transistors can be scaled and to understand the mechanisms that limit their miniaturization. Despite multiple leakage paths, non-planar devices with a multi-gate architecture and an extremely narrow cross section can be expected to still work as good switches, even with a 5 nm gate length, provided that they exhibit a large enough band gap and transport effective mass and that their gate contact can modulate the electrostatic potential of the source and drain extensions to effectively increase the gate length.