LETTER pubs.acs.org/NanoLett Channel Length Scaling in Graphene Field-Effect Transistors Studied with Pulsed Current-Voltage Measurements

ABSTRACT: We investigate current saturation at short channel lengths in graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs). Saturation is necessary to achieve low-output conductance required for device power gain. Dual-channel pulsed current-voltage measurements are performed to eliminate the significant effects of trapped charge in the gate dielectric, a problem common to all oxide-based di-electric films on graphene. With pulsed measurements, graphene transistors with channel lengths as small as 130 nm achieve output conductance as low as 0.3 mS/μm in saturation. The transcon-ductance of the devices is independent of channel length, consistent with a velocity saturation model of high-field transport. Saturation velocities have a density dependence consistent with diffusive transport limited by optical phonon emission