Dielectric modulated step channel junction less tunnel field effect (DM-SC-jltfet) for detecting cancer cells

Abstract

Present disclosure relates to a Dielectric Modulated Step Channel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) (100) for detecting cancer cells. The DM-SC-JLTFET (100) includes a housing (112) comprising at least one of a Ge and a Si portion. A source terminal (102) configured to enable entry for one or more carriers and associated with a primary tunneling junction (202-1, 202-2) in the Ge portion of the housing (112). A drain terminal (104) configured to enable exit for the one or more carriers and associated with a secondary tunneling junction (202-1, 202-2) in the Si portion of the housing (112), wherein a cavity (110) is formed at the primary tunneling junction (204-1, 204-2) and the secondary tunneling junction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor devices. Inparticular, the present disclosure relates to a Dielectric Modulated Step ChannelJunction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detecting cancer cells.BACKGROUND

[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful inunderstanding the present disclosure. It is not an admission that any of theinformation provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimeddisclosure, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.

[0003] A Dielectric Modulated Step-Channel Junction Less TFET (DM-SCJLTFET) is a type of transistor, specifically a Tunnel Field-Effect Transistor(TFET) that incorporates dielectric modulation and a step-channel design.Achieving consistent and reproducible fabrication processes is a significantchallenge. Variations in the manufacturing process can lead to inconsistent deviceperformance, making it difficult to reliably produce devices with desiredcharacteristics. As the device scales down to smaller sizes, nanoscale effects suchas quantum mechanical phenomena and surface / interface effects become morepronounced. These effects can impact device behavior and need to be thoroughlyunderstood and managed.

[0004] The design of existing application titled "Doping less NegativeCapacitance Ferroelectric TFET for Breast Cancer Cells Detection: Design andSensitivity Analysis" include the highly complicated fabrication due to thepresence of doping and complicated gate oxide material presence. The existingdevice is more prominent to the junction leakages and RDF effect. The ambipolarcurrent degrades the device performance. The existing device reports a SS of 45mv / dec for K=32 cancer biomolecuels. The existing device reports on current of1X10-6 A / μm for K=32. The existing device shows less sensitivity compared tothe proposed device.

[0005] Hence there is a need for a Dielectric Modulated Step Channel JunctionLess Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detecting cancer cells.OBJECTS OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0006] Some of the objects of the present disclosure, which at least oneembodiment herein satisfies are as listed herein below.

[0007] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a Dielectric ModulatedStep Channel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detectingcancer cells.

[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a DielectricModulated Step Channel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) fordetecting cancer cells, which provides simpler fabrication process of the material.

[0009] It is another object of the present invention to provide a DielectricModulated Step Channel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) fordetecting cancer cells which provides Junction less TFET device which suppressthe RDF as well as the junction leakage current.

[0010] It is another object of the present invention to provide a DielectricModulated Step Channel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) fordetecting cancer cells, which enables high switching current sensitivity.SUMMARY

[0011] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor devices. Inparticular, the present disclosure relates to a Dielectric Modulated Step ChannelJunction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detecting cancer cells.

[0012] An aspect of the present disclosure provides a Dielectric Modulated StepChannel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detectingcancer cells. The DM-SC-JLTFET includes housing comprising at least one of aGe and a Si portion. Further, a source terminal to enable entry for one or morecarriers and associated with a primary tunneling junction in the Ge portion of thehousing. A drain terminal enable exit for the one or more carriers and associatedwith a secondary tunneling junction in the Si portion of the housing. A cavity isformed at the primary tunneling junction and the secondary tunneling junction.

[0013] In an aspect, the DM-SC-JLTFET includes a dielectric constant (K) value,one or more parameters, and a dielectric modulation mechanism to alter asubstrate thickness for detecting cancer cells.

[0014] In an aspect, the one or more parameters comprises at least one of anelectrostatistics, an energy band, a lateral electric field, and a threshold voltage(Vth).

[0015] In an aspect, a dielectric constant (K) values pertains to a predefined valueof 200 MHz frequency.

[0016] In an aspect, the DM-SC-JLTFET includes a charged plasma to suppressthe random dopant fluctuation (RDF)

[0017] In an aspect, measuring the sensitivity of the cancer cells is based on atleast one of a current (Ion) and an ambipolar current (Iamb).

[0018] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subjectmatter will become more apparent from the following detailed description ofpreferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in whichlike numerals represent like components.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the present disclosure, and are incorporated in, and constitute apart of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of thepresent disclosure, and together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the present disclosure.

[0020] In the figures, similar components, and / or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label with a second label thatdistinguishes among the similar components. If only the first reference label isused in the specification, the description is applicable to any one of the similarcomponents having the same first reference label irrespective of the secondreference label.

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary block diagram of the DM-SC-JLTFET, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 2A illustrates exemplary architecture of the DM-SC-JLTFET withcavity at primary tunneling junction, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

[0023] FIG. 2B illustrates exemplary architecture of the DM-SC-JLTFET withcavity at secondary tunneling junction, in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 3 illustrates graphical representation of the DM-SC-JLTFETcalibration, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosuredepicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as toclearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is notintended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

[0026] In some embodiments, the numbers expressing quantities ofingredients, properties such as concentration, and so forth, used to describe andclaim certain embodiments of the invention are to be understood as beingmodified in some instances by the term "about." Accordingly, in someembodiments, the numerical parameters set forth in the written description areapproximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to beobtained by a particular embodiment.

[0027] In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should be construed inlight of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinaryrounding techniques. Notwithstanding that the numerical ranges and parameterssetting forth the broad scope of some embodiments of the invention areapproximations, the numerical values set forth in the specific examples arereported as precisely as practicable. The recitation of ranges of values herein ismerely intended to serve as a shorthand method of referring individually to eachseparate value falling within the range. Unless otherwise indicated herein, eachindividual value is incorporated into the specification as if it were individuallyrecited herein.

[0028] Various aspects of the present disclosure are described with respect to FIG1-3.

[0029] The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor devices. Inparticular, the present disclosure relates to a Dielectric Modulated Step ChannelJunction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detecting cancer cells.

[0030] An aspect of the present disclosure provides a Dielectric Modulated StepChannel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detectingcancer cells. The DM-SC-JLTFET includes housing comprising at least one of aGe and a Si portion. Further, a source terminal to enable entry for one or morecarriers and associated with a primary tunneling junction in the Ge portion of thehousing. A drain terminal enable exit for the one or more carriers and associatedwith a secondary tunneling junction in the Si portion of the housing. A cavity isformed at the primary tunneling junction and the secondary tunneling junction.

[0031] In an aspect, the DM-SC-JLTFET includes a dielectric constant (K) value,one or more parameters, and a dielectric modulation mechanism to alter asubstrate thickness for detecting cancer cells.

[0032] In an aspect, the one or more parameters comprises at least one of anelectrostatistics, an energy band, a lateral electric field, and a threshold voltage(Vth).

[0033] In an aspect, a dielectric constant (K) values pertains to a predefined valueof 200 MHz frequency.

[0034] In an aspect, the DM-SC-JLTFET includes a charged plasma to suppressthe random dopant fluctuation (RDF)

[0035] In an aspect, measuring the sensitivity of the cancer cells is based on atleast one of a current (Ion) and an ambipolar current (Iamb).

[0036] FIG. 1 illustrates exemplary block diagram of the DM-SC-JLTFET, inaccordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 1, the present disclosure provides aDielectric Modulated Step Channel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detecting cancer cells. The DM-SC-JLTFET includes a sourceterminal 102, a drain terminal 104, a gate terminal 106, a tunnelling region 108, acavity 110, and a housing 112. The source terminal 102 and the drain terminal 104serve as the entry and exit points for the carriers to enter or exit the tunnelingregion. The characteristics of these terminals can impact the tunneling process andtransistor behavior. The gate terminal 106 can be configured to control the flow ofcarriers through the tunneling region 108. The voltage applied to the gate terminalinfluences the tunneling probability and, consequently, the transistor's behavior.The tunnelling region 108 is the heart of the DM-SC-JLTFET 100, where carriers(electrons or holes) tunnel through a thin barrier. In DM-SC-JLTFET 100 thetunnelling region 108 is carefully designed to facilitate efficient and controlledtunneling of carriers.

[0038] In an embodiment, the DM-SC-JLTFET 100 includes the housing 112comprising at least one of a Ge and a Si portion. Further, the source terminal 102can be disposed on a primary tunnelling junction in the Ge portion of the housing112. The drain terminal 104 can be disposed on a primary tunneling junction inthe Si portion of the housing 112, where a cavity 110 can be formed at theprimary tunneling junction and the secondary tunneling junction. The Intrinsicgermanium (Ge) refers to germanium that is in a pure and undoped state, meaningit does not contain any intentional impurities or dopants. When a semiconductormaterial like germanium is referred to as "intrinsic," it signifies that the materialitself is free of any additional atoms deliberately added to alter its electricalproperties. Further, Intrinsic silicon (Si) refers to pure silicon that is in an undopedstate, containing no intentional impurities or dopants. When silicon is considered"intrinsic," it implies that the material itself is free of any additional atomsdeliberately added to alter its electrical properties.

[0039] In an embodiment, the DM-SC-JLTFET 100 comprises a dielectricconstant (K) values, one or more parameters and a dielectric modulationmechanism to alter a substrate thickness for detecting cancer cells. The dielectricconstant (K) values pertain to a predefined value of 200 MHz frequency. TheDielectric modulation is a technique used in semiconductor device engineering toenhance the performance and properties of the device, particularly in the contextof transistors like Tunnel Field-Effect Transistors (TFETs). The techniqueinvolves strategically modifying the dielectric properties or configurations withinthe device's structure to achieve specific desired effects. In an embodiment, theone or more parameters comprises at least one of an electrostatistics, an energyband, a lateral electric field, and a threshold voltage (Vth).

[0040] In an embodiment, the DM-SC-JLTFET comprises a charged plasma tosuppress the random dopant fluctuation (RDF). In an embodiment, measuring thesensitivity of the cancer cells is based on at least one of a current (Ion) and anambipolar current (Iamb).

[0041] In an embodiment, the usage of this concept rendering the complexfabrication process simple, affordable cost. The DM-SC-JLTFET 100 isimplemented with reduced substrate thickness improves the efficacy of thebiosensor. The DM-SC-JLTFET 100 uses both on current (Ion) and ambipolarcurrent (Iamb) for measuring the sensitivity of the cancer biomolecules. An indepth analysis has been carried out for the biosensor by considering performanceparameters such as electrostatistics of the DM-SC-JLTFET 100, energy banddiagram, lateral electric field, and threshold voltage (Vth). The DM-SC-JLTFET100 sensitivity is analyzed using parameters like Ion / Ioff, Ioff / Iamb current ratio,Subthreshold Swing (SS), and Vth. The DM-SC-JLTFET 100 reports highdetection sensitivity of 2.683x106 and a low SS of 32 mV / dec for the breastcancer cell biomolecule T47D (K=32) and effectively reduces the RDF effect. TheDM-SC-JLTFET 100 shows enhanced sensitivity and higher compatibility forbreast cancer cell detection, and DM-SC-JLTFET 100 will be an excellentalternative to the classical vivo breast cancer detection.

[0042] In an embodiment, the Random dopant fluctuation (RDF) is aphenomenon that occurs in semiconductor devices due to the statistical nature ofdoping processes during fabrication. It refers to the variability or randomness inthe placement and distribution of dopant atoms within the semiconductor material.RDF is a significant concern, especially as transistors and electronic devicescontinue to shrink in size, leading to more pronounced effects.

[0043] FIG. 2A illustrates exemplary architecture of the DM-SC-JLTFET 100with cavity at primary tunneling junction, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

[0044] In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 2A, the DM-SC-JLTFET 100 withcavity 110 at primary tunneling junction (202-1, 202-2) improves transistorperformance. At the heart of this design is the primary tunneling junction (202-1,202-2), where carriers tunnel through a barrier, a fundamental process fortransistor operation. To further optimize this critical tunneling region 108, a cavity110 is introduced. This cavity 110 serves to create a specific structural featurewithin the tunneling region 108, potentially enhancing the tunnelingcharacteristics. The cavity design 110, strategically implemented at the tunnelingjunction 108, can modify the electric field distribution and carrier dynamics,potentially leading to improved transistor performance. This additional featurewithin the tunneling region 108 represents a novel approach to semiconductordevice engineering, showcasing potential benefits for low-power applications andsensing technologies.

[0045] FIG. 2B illustrates exemplary architecture of the DM-SC-JLTFET 100with cavity at secondary tunneling junction (204-1, 204-2), in accordance with anembodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 2B, the DM-SC-JLTFET 100 withcavity at secondary tunneling junction (204-1, 204-2). The primary tunnelingjunction (202-1, 202-2), a fundamental part of the DM-SC-JLTFET 100,facilitates carrier tunneling through a barrier, a critical process for transistoroperation. In this advanced design, a secondary tunneling junction is introduced(204-1, 204-2), further optimizing the tunneling region 108. A strategically placedcavity within this secondary tunneling junction (204-1, 204-2) creates a specificstructural feature, potentially improving tunneling characteristics. By modifyingthe electric field distribution and carrier dynamics, the cavity 110 enhances thetransistor's performance. This innovative feature within the secondary tunnelingjunction (204-1, 204-2) demonstrates the continuous evolution and refinement ofsemiconductor device engineering, showing promise for applications in low-power electronics and sensing technologies.

[0047] FIG. 3 illustrates graphical representation of the DM-SC-JLTFET 100calibration, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0048] In an embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, the DM-SC-JLTFET 100calibration with respect to the experimental data of the existing device. Thegraphical representation includes Gate voltage and Drain Current. The TABLE 1represents cancer cell lines with K valuesTABLE 1

[0049] If the specification states a component or feature "may", "can", "could", or"might" be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or featureis not required to be included or have the characteristic.

[0050] As used in the description herein and throughout the claims that follow,the meaning of "a," "an," and "the" includes plural reference unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in the description herein, the meaning of"in" includes "in" and "on" unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0051] Moreover, in interpreting the specification, all terms should be interpretedin the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, theterms "comprises" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring toelements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that thereferenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, orcombined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expresslyreferenced. Where the specification claims refer to at least one of somethingselected from the group consisting of A, B, C….and N, the text should beinterpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plusN, etc.

[0052] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the disclosure,other and further embodiments of the disclosure may be devised without departingfrom the basic scope thereof. The scope of the disclosure is determined by theclaims that follow. The disclosure is not limited to the described embodiments,versions or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skillin the art to make and use the disclosure when combined with information andknowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.ADVANTAGES OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE

[0053] The present disclosure provides a Dielectric Modulated Step ChannelJunction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) for detecting cancer cells,which reduce power consumption, can achieve steep subthreshold slopes,allowing for efficient operation at lower supply voltages.

[0054] The present disclosure achieves lower off-current and better control overthe transistor, leading to reduced power consumption.

[0055] The present disclosure mitigates short-channel effects associated withscaling down transistor sizes. Short channel effects, like drain-induced barrierlowering and subthreshold hump, can be significantly reduced, allowing for betterperformance in smaller devices.

Claims

1. A Dielectric Modulated Step Channel Junction Less Tunnel Field Effect (DM-SC-JLTFET) (100) for detecting cancer cells, the DM-SC-JLTFET (100) comprises: a housing (112) comprising at least one of a Ge and a Si portion; a source terminal (102) configured to enable entry for one or more carriers and associated with a primary tunneling junction (202-1, 202-2) in the Ge portion of the housing (112); and a drain terminal (104) configured to enable exit for the one or more carriers and associated with a secondary tunneling junction (202-1, 202-2) in the Si portion of the housing (112), wherein a cavity (110) is formed at the primary tunneling junction (204-1, 204-2) and the secondary tunneling junction.

2. The DM-SC-JLTFET (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DM-SCJLTFET (100) comprises a dielectric constant (K) value, one or more parameters, and a dielectric modulation mechanism to alter a substrate thickness for detecting cancer cells.

3. The DM-SC-JLTFET (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more parameters comprises at least one of an electrostatistics, an energy band, a lateral electric field, and a threshold voltage (Vth).

4. The DM-SC-JLTFET (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the dielectric constant (K) values pertains to a predefined value of 200 MHz frequency.

5. The DM-SC-JLTFET (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the DM-SCJLTFET comprises a charged plasma to suppress the random dopant fluctuation (RDF).

6. The DM-SC-JLTFET (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein measuring the sensitivity of the cancer cells is based on at least one of a current (Ion) and an ambipolar current (Iamb).