"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."
Nano-scale Field Effect Diode-Based Memory and Electrostatic Protection Devices
The objective of this research is to design, fabricate and test Field-Effect-Diode based memory cells which break through the area/performance trade-off of conventional static and dynamic cells. The proposed research is in response to the widely recognized need for urgent progress in memory technology, as abundantly demonstrated by large numbers of dedicated sessions and invited talks in many prestigious semiconductor conferences and workshops. As a secondary objective, Field-Effect-Diodes will be explored for electrostatic discharge protection applications.
The approach is to combine the strengths of the Thin-Capacitively-Coupled-Thyristor with the strengths of the nanoscale Field-Effect-Diode and exploit the inherent bi-stable storage mechanism (negative differential resistance).
The research involves demanding device physics and advanced nano-fabrication technology, and is aimed at exploring the structure and design space of Multi-Gate, Fin and Nanowire Silicon-on-Insulator Field-Effect-Diode, Thyristor-like devices. For memory applications, leakage control and small cell size drive the device design, whereas for electrostatic protection large forward breakdown voltage must be achieved.
The research has the potential for transformational impact on memory cell design through the introduction of radically different cells, which nevertheless remain compatible with modern silicon technology, as the semiconductor industry enters the "nano-scale" era. These cells and the new nano-fabrication technology will add to the broader area of nanoelectronics, vital for the future technological dominance of the USA. Research and undergraduate students (two females) will join our team, and our results will form the basis for our new distance education courses.
