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Overcoming the Boltzmann limit in two-dimensional memtransistors via hysteretic charge trapping

Rafael Schio Wengenroth Silva1, Soumen Pradhan2, Fabian Hartmann2, Leonardo K. Castelano1, Ovidiu Lipan3, Sven Höfling2, and Victor Lopez-Richard1,*

  • *Contact author: vlopez@df.ufscar.br
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Phys. Rev. Applied 25, L051004 – Published 14 May, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/3m8n-ctrv

Abstract

The 60-mV/decade subthreshold limit at room temperature, coined as the Boltzmann tyranny, remains a fundamental obstacle to the continued down-scaling of conventional transistors. While several strategies have sought to overcome this constraint through nonthermal carrier injection, most rely on ferroelectric-based or otherwise material-specific mechanisms that require complex fabrication and stability control. Here, we develop a universal theoretical framework showing that intrinsic hysteretic (memristive) effects arising from charge trapping in nanometric field-effect transistors can naturally bypass this limit. Within the Landauer-Büttiker quantum transport formalism, we incorporate history-dependent charge-trapping and detrapping mechanisms that dynamically renormalize the conduction band edge. The resulting analytical expression for the subthreshold swing explicitly links memristive (history-dependent) dynamics to gate efficiency, revealing that a reduced carrier generation rate or enhanced trapping activity leads to subthermal switching, thus breaking the Boltzmann barrier. The model captures key experimental features and provides clear, generalizable design principles, establishing charge-trapping-based memtransistors as a robust pathway toward ultra-low-power and multifunctional electronic architectures.

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Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. Applied 25, L051004– Published 14 May, 2026
  • Received 31 October 2025
  • Revised 12 February 2026
  • Accepted 20 April 2026
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