ABSTRACT
The electronic structure of a graphene nanoribbon (GNR) is very sensitive to the channel width due to its extremely low dimensionality of quasi-one-dimensional (1D) channel. The quantum confinement of a graphene sheet in the form of a 1D nanoribbon with very narrow width (~1–3 nm) provides the energy gap of several hundred meV required for field-effect transistor (FET) operation in digital applications. The double-gate GNRFET structure is used in simulation. In this structure, the GNR is sandwiched between two thin insulator layers in a double metal gate topology to maximize the electrostatic control of the gate electrode over the GNR channel. In a typical MOSFET, the OFF-state current is mostly due to the thermionic emission of carriers from over the channel barrier in a longer channel, while in a short-channel device, the decrease in both height and width of the potential barrier in the channel increases the direct tunneling of carriers through the barrier.
