Current prospects and challenges in negative-capacitance field-effect transistors

For decades, the fundamental driving force behind energy-efficient and cost-effective electronic components has been the downward scaling of electronic devices. However, due to approaching the fundamental limits of silicon-based complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) devices, various emerging materials and device structures are considered alternative aspirants, such as negative-capacitance field-effect transistors (NCFETs), for their promising advantages in terms of scaling, speed, and power consumption. In this article, we present a brief overview of the progress made on NCFETs, including theoretical and experimental approaches, a current understanding of NCFET device physics, possible physical mechanisms for NC, and future functionalization prospects. In addition, in the context of recent findings, critical technological difficulties that must be addressed in the NCFET development are also discussed.