Scaling of Two-Dimensional Semiconductor Nanoribbons for High-Performance Electronics

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) field-effect transistors (FETs), with their atomically thin bodies, are promising candidates for future gate-all-around (GAA) nanoribbon architectures. While state-of-the-art Si GAA nanoribbon transistors feature channel widths in the tens of nanometers, most reported TMD-based FETs remain limited to micrometer-scale dimensions, limiting their relevance for ultra-scaled electronics. In this work, we investigate the channel width scaling in nanoribbon transistors based on monolayer MoS ₂ grown on 2-inch wafers, achieving widths of approximately 30–40 nm. Remarkably, nanoribbon width scaling enhances the on-current by 30–40%, reaching up to 700 µA/µm for the smallest-width devices, while also improving the subthreshold slope (SS) to as low as 70 mV/dec. This enhancement is attributed to a stronger electric field at the nanoribbon edges without significant degradation from edge-related scattering. To further demonstrate the scalability of the nanoribbon device, we evaluate the variability of extremely scaled monolayer MoS ₂ nanoribbon transistor arrays featuring a contact pitch of 60 nm and an effective oxide thickness (EOT) of approximately 0.9 nm. Beyond MoS ₂ , we extend the nanoribbon structure to WS ₂ n-type and WSe ₂ p-type FETs, demonstrating a viable path toward complementary monolayer TMD nanoribbon FETs for future ultra-scaled electronics.