Electrostatic dimension of aligned-array carbon nanotube field-effect transistors

Accurate electrostatics modeling of nanotubes (NTs)/nanowires (NWs) has significant implications for the ultimate scalability of aligned-array NT/NW field-effect transistors (FETs). The analysis to date has focused on limits of capacitive coupling between the 1D channel and 2D gate that is strictly relevant only in the linear response operation of NT/NW-FETs. Moreover, the techniques of electrostatic doping by independent gates that cover only part of the channel are widely used, but the nature of its electrostatic coupling has not been explored. In this paper, we use a three-dimensional, self-consistent model for NT/NW-FETs to interpret the essence of electrostatic coupling with complex configuration of electrode geometries. The interplay between 3D electric fields and its 1D termination onto the NTs/NWs suggests surprising complexity of electrostatic interaction not captured in simpler models. This coupling can change the performance metrics such as ON and OFF currents by orders of magnitude depending on (1) NT/NW density, (2) bias voltage, and (3) gate overlap length. Remarkably, this parasitic coupling persists regardless of the gate oxide thickness, changes in dielectric constant, and/or the width of the diameter distribution of NTs/NWs. The predictions of the model are systematically validated by a series of experiments.