In this paper we propose the use of macroporous silicon for microelectronic devices. We propose and study four different FET transistor structures using macroporous silicon as base material. Macroporous silicon is a novel material whose application most commonly suggested is as photonic crystals. Nevertheless, this is a versatile structured material with applications in many different areas, though microelectronics is not usually cited. We suggest its use for electronics devices as a FET transistor. The presented structures are studied by simulation in device modelling software (TCAD). Two kinds of operation modes have been considered: vertical (axial) and horizontal (transverse) in relation to the etched pores in silicon. One of the notable features of the described structures is the ability to have a massive number of identical unitary-cell transistor devices operating in parallel, having an all-around gate. These features allow driving the gate with low controlling voltages while handling large current density. Furthermore, the external device volume remains small thanks to the very large area-to-volume ratio. Thanks to the considerable amount of active area achievable, we further propose the use of such devices for low-voltage power applications. In this paper we present the obtained results of our simulations of the proposed devices.

Peer Reviewed