In a field-effect transistor (FET), the leakage current is mainly determined by the characteristics of the gate oxide. The gate oxide is a thin insulating layer that separates the gate electrode from the semiconductor channel.
The electron affinity of the gate oxide material affects the leakage current in an FET. Electron affinity is the energy required to remove an electron from the conduction band of a material. A material with a higher electron affinity will have a stronger attraction for electrons, which can affect the behavior of the electrons in the semiconductor channel and the gate oxide.
In general, a gate oxide with a higher electron affinity will have a lower leakage current in an FET. This is because a gate oxide with a higher electron affinity will have a stronger attraction for electrons, which can prevent them from flowing through the oxide and causing leakage current.
However, it's worth noting that other factors also affect the leakage current in FETs, such as the thickness of the gate oxide, the doping concentration of the semiconductor material, and the operating voltage of the device. Therefore, it's important to consider all of these factors when designing and analyzing FETs.