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Toward high-current-density and high-frequency graphene resonant tunneling transistors

Author

Listed:
  • Zihao Zhang

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Baoqing Zhang

    (Southern University of Science and Technology)

  • Yifei Zhang

    (Shandong University)

  • Yiming Wang

    (Shandong University)

  • Patrick Hays

    (Arizona State University)

  • Seth Ariel Tongay

    (Arizona State University)

  • Mingyang Wang

    (Shandong University)

  • Hecheng Han

    (Shandong University)

  • Hu Li

    (Shandong University)

  • Jiawei Zhang

    (Shandong University)

  • Aimin Song

    (Southern University of Science and Technology
    University of Manchester)

Abstract

Negative differential resistance (NDR), a peculiar electrical property in which current decreases with increasing voltage, is highly desirable for multivalued logic gates, memory devices, and oscillators. Recently, 2D quantum-tunneling NDR devices have attracted considerable attention because of the inherent atomically flat and dangling-bond-free surfaces of 2D materials. However, the low current density of 2D NDR devices limits their operating frequency to less than 2 MHz. In this study, graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN)/graphene resonant tunneling transistors (RTTs) were fabricated using graphene and h-BN barriers with different numbers of atomic layers, showing a mechanism enabling the observation of NDR in high current density devices. A triangular etching approach was proposed to suppress the effects of graphene–metal contact resistance and graphene sheet resistance, enabling pronounced NDR effect even in a 2D tunneling device with a single atomic layer h-BN barrier. A room-temperature peak current density up to 2700 μA/μm2 and operational frequencies up to 11 GHz were achieved, demonstrating the potential of 2D quantum NDR devices for applications in high-speed electronics.

Suggested Citation

  • Zihao Zhang & Baoqing Zhang & Yifei Zhang & Yiming Wang & Patrick Hays & Seth Ariel Tongay & Mingyang Wang & Hecheng Han & Hu Li & Jiawei Zhang & Aimin Song, 2025. "Toward high-current-density and high-frequency graphene resonant tunneling transistors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-58720-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-58720-7
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