Performance evaluation of ballistic silicon nanowire transistors with atomic-basis dispersion relations

In this letter, we explore the band structure effects on the performance of ballistic silicon nanowire transistors (SNWTs). The energy dispersion relations for silicon nanowires are evaluated with an sp(3)d(5)s* tight binding model. Based on the calculated dispersion relations, the ballistic currents for both n-type and p-type SNWTs are evaluated by using a seminumerical ballistic model. For large diameter nanowires, we find that the ballistic p-SNWT delivers half the ON-current of a ballistic n-SNWT. For small diameters, however, the ON-current of the p-type SNWT approaches that of its n-type counterpart. Finally, the carrier injection velocity for SNWTs is compared with those for planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors, clearly demonstrating the impact of quantum confinement on the performance limits of SNWTs. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.