Low voltage tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) and method of making same

A tunnel field-effect transistor comprising:

• a p-n tunnel junction comprising:
• a source-layer comprising a source-tunneling-region;
• a drain-layer comprising a drain-tunneling-region and underneath the drain-layer an air-bridge that substantially restricts electrical conduction between the drain-layer and the source-layer through the drain-tunneling-region and the source-tunneling-region;
• and
• a depletion region formed at the interface of the source-tunneling-region and drain-tunneling-region in which the depletion region exhibits an internal electric field that substantially points between the source-tunneling-region and drain-tunneling-region when no external electric field is imposed;
• a gate-dielectric interfaced onto the drain-tunneling-region such that the drain-tunneling-region is immediately between the source-tunneling-region and the gate-dielectric;
• a gate interfaced onto the gate-dielectric wherein the gate is configured to impose an external electric field which is oriented substantially in parallel to the internal electric field of the depletion region;
• a source-contact coupled to the source-layer;
• and
• a drain-contact coupled to the drain-layer.