Resonant tunneling device with multiple negative differential resistance: Digital and signal processing applications with reduced circuit complexity

A new approach to obtain multiple peaks in the current-voltage characteristic of a resonant-tunneling (RT) device is demonstrated. The peaks are generated using only the ground state resonance of the quantum well rather than several states, as in conventional RT devices. The separation between the peaks is voltage tunable and also the peak currents can be made nearly equal, which is necessary to use the device in a variety of circuit applications. A functional device operating at 100 K, with two peaks in the I-V has been fabricated. The first practical demonstration of circuits for frequency multiplication by a factor of five, a three-state memory and a 4-bit parity generator, using a single functional RT device each, is also reported. The use of multiple-peak RT devices in these circuits results in an order of magnitude reduction in the number component per function over conventional techniques.     

Resonant tunneling transistors with controllable negative differential resistances

Three-terminal devices based on resonant tunneling through two quantum barriers separated by a quantum well are presented and analyzed theoretically. Each proposed device consists of a resonant tunneling double barrier heterostructure integrated with a Schottky barrier field-effect transistor configuration. The essential feature of these devices is the presence, in their output current-voltage (I_{D} - V_{D}) curves, of negative differential resistances controlled by a gate voltage. Because of the high-speed characteristics associated with tunnel structures, these devices could find applications in tunable millimeter-wave oscillators, negative resistance amplifiers, and high-speed digital circuits.     

Novel multiple-selected and multiple-valued memory design using negative differential resistance circuits suitable for standard SiGe-based BiCMOS process

A novel multiple-selected and multiple-valued memory (MSMVM) design using the negative differential resistance (NDR) circuits is demonstrated. The NDR circuits are made of Si-based metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOS) and SiGe-based heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). During suitably designing the parameters and connecting three MOS–HBT–NDR circuits, we can obtain the three-peak current–voltage (I–V) curves with different peak currents in the combined I–V characteristics. For the traditional resonant-tunneling-diode (RTD) memory circuit, one can only obtain four-valued memory states using a constant current source to bias the three-peak NDR circuit. However in this paper, we utilize two switch-controlled current sources to bias the three-peak NDR circuit at different current levels. By controlling the switches on and off alternatively, we can obtain the four-valued, three-valued, two-valued, and one-valued memory levels under the four different conditions. Our design is based on the standard 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS process.     

Resonant interband tunneling device with multiple negativedifferential resistance regions

The first observations of multiple negative differential resistance (NDR) regions in resonant interband tunneling devices are reported. In vertically integrated poly-type heterostructures of InAs/AlSb/GaSb, the peak voltages are reduced by a factor of 2 compared to the AlInAs/GaInAs material system, while high peak-to-valley ratios of 4:1 (17:1) at 300 K (77 K) are maintained. The InAs/AlSb/GaSb material system offers advantages for circuit applications of such devices, particularly operation at lower voltages     

An exclusive-OR logic circuit based on controlled quenching ofseries-connected negative differential resistance devices

An exclusive-OR (XOR) logic circuit with clocked supply voltage based on the controlled quenching of series-connected negative differential resistance (NDR) devices is demonstrated. This controlled quenching process obeys a simple rule: the NDR device with the smallest peak current is always quenched first. In our present work, resonant-tunneling diodes provide the critical NDR feature, while FET's, which are integrated with RTD's in parallel, modulate the peak currents of NDR devices. The modulation of peak currents in different NDR devices directly controls the quenching sequence, and results in certain logic functions, one of which is XOR     

CMOS implementation of a multiple-valued logic signed-digit fulladder based on negative-differentiaI-resistance devices

This paper presents a fully integrated implementation of a multivalued-logic signed-digit full adder (SDFA) circuit using a standard 0.6-μm CMOS process. The radix-2 SDFA circuit, based on two-peak negative-differentiaI-resistance (NDR) devices, has been implemented using MOS-NDR, a new prototyping technique for circuits that combine MOS transistors and NDR devices. In MOS-NDR, the folded current-voltage characteristics of NDR devices such as resonant-tunneling diodes (RTDs) are emulated using only nMOS transistors. The SDFA prototype has been fabricated and correct function has been verified. With an area of 123.75 by 38.7 μm² and a simulated propagation delay of 17 ns, the MOS-NDR prototype is more than 15 times smaller and slightly faster than the equivalent hybrid RTD-CMOS implementation     

Design and fabrication of multiple-valued multiplexer using negative differential resistance circuits and standard SiGe process

The design of a four-valued multiplexer using the negative differential resistance (NDR) circuit is demonstrated. The NDR circuit used in this work is made of the Si-based metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect-transistor (MOS) and the SiGe-based heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT). However we can obtain the NDR characteristic in its combined I–V curve by suitably arranging the MOS parameters. This novel multiplexer is made of MOS–HBT–NDR-based decoders and inverters. The fabrication is based on the standard 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS process.     

Logic synthesis and circuit modeling of a programmable logic gate based on controlled quenching of series-connected negative differential resistance devices

The circuit concept of programmable logic gates based on the controlled quenching of series-connected negative differential resistance (NDR) devices is introduced, along with the detailed logic synthesis and circuit modeling. At the rising edge of a clocked supply voltage, the NDR devices are quenched in the ascending order of peak currents that can be reordered by the control gates and input gates biases, thus, providing programmable logic functions. The simulated results agree well with the experimental demonstration of the programmable logic gate fabricated by a monolithic integrated resonant tunneling diode/high electron mobility transistor technology.     

A novel amorphous silicon doping superlattice device with doubleswitching characteristics for multiple-valued logic applications

An amorphous silicon doping superlattice device with different period lengths is developed, providing a double switching characteristic that has been demonstrated to yield multiple stable states for multiple-valued logic applications. Unlike those of conventional switching devices, the switching characteristics of the present device are caused by avalanche multiplication and a barrier-lowering effect. A tristate memory cell using this device is proposed and discussed     

Multiple-route and multiple-state current-voltage characteristicsof an InP/AlInGaAs switch for multiple-valued logic applications

A novel multiple-state switching device based on an InP/AlInGaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) structure has been successfully fabricated and demonstrated. The common-emitter current gain up to 25 is obtained under the forward operation mode. However, the anomalous multiple-negative-differential-resistance (MNDR) phenomena controlled either by electrical or optical input signals are observed under the inverted operation mode. The studied device exhibits a single-route S-shaped NDR behavior in the dark and a distinct significant S-shaped MNDR phenomena by introducing an incident light source at room temperature. Moreover, the anomalous multiple-route and multiple-step current-voltage (I-V) characteristics are also observed at 77 K. The switching behaviors are attributed to the avalanche multiplication, barrier lowering effect and potential redistribution process. Experimental results show that the studied device provides a good potentiality for multiple-valued logic and optoelectronic switching system applications     

To induce negative differential resistance in organic devices through a ferroelectric polymer

We report how ferroelectric materials induce negative differential resistance (NDR) in organic devices. Fluorescein, which exhibits semiconducting current–voltage characteristics, shows NDR effect in a ferroelectric matrix. Here, we vary the concentration of fluorescein in the ferroelectric matrix to study its effect on NDR. We also show how the degree of polarization controls NDR. We infer that under a suitable bias, the ferroelectric polymer becomes polarized to facilitate electron-injection in the device followed by a double-reduction of fluorescein molecules. From the capacitance–voltage measurements, we substantiate the role of polarization in inducing NDR effect in organic molecules.     

A static memory cell based on the negative resistance of the gateterminal of p-n-p-n devices

We propose a new static memory cell that is based on bistable operation of a three-terminal p-n-p-n device working in the blocking state. The bistable operation is verified by the measurements of Si/amorphous Si prototypes. The experimental prototypes achieve delay times in the nanosecond range when operating with external gate and anode resistors. In order to decrease the power consumption of the memory cell, we propose to operate it with MOS transistor switches instead of the gate resistors. The memory cell can be integrated into VLSI processes, and is of a size suitable for VLSI applications     

A stimulated inelastic tunneling theory of negative differential resistance in metal-insulator-metal diodes

The negative differential resistance that has been observed in the current-voltage characteristics of some metal-insulator-metal (MIM) diodes is investigated theoretically. A refined theory, involving the stimulated inelastic tunneling of electrons through the diode's insulating layer, is developed to explain the negative resistance. Electrons can tunnel inelastically through the insulating layer by emitting surface plasmons. It is shown that if the diode structure forms a resonant cavity of the proper frequency and sufficiently highQ-factor, the effect of emitted plasmons can be contained long enough to stimulate additional inelastic tunneling. Second order perturbation theory is used to derive an equation for the current-voltage characteristic of an MIM diode exhibiting negative differential resistance. Numerical calculations show that aQ-factor of10^{2}-10^{4}is required to match the theoretical results to published current-voltage characteristics of MIM diodes with negative differential resistance.     

A field-effect transistor with a negative differential resistance

We report the effect of negative differential resistance (NDR) in the drain circuit of a new type of selectively doped AlGaAs/ GaAs heterojunction transistor. The key new element of our structure is the presence of a subsidiary GaAs conducting layer, separated from the FET channel by an AlGaAs graded barrier. In this work the subsidiary layer is realized by the conducting substrate. The NDR effect arises due to the heating of channel electrons by the source-to-drain field, and the subsequent charge injection over the barrier. This effect is strongly influenced by the gate and substrate voltages. In a floating-substrate arrangement the current-voltage characteristics exhibit memory effects associated with retention of injected charge in the substrate. In this mode, the NDR is seen only at low temperatures with the peak-to-valley ratios in current at 77 K reaching values as high as 30. On the other hand, when the substrate is biased positively, the NDR results from a peculiar effect of dynamical channel depletion by the injected space charge which drifts on the downhill slope of the graded barrier. In this case, the NDR is observed even at room temperature.     

Organic quantum wells with multiple negative differential resistance peaks and its photoswitch effect

Organic optoelectronic devices have experienced great progress in recent decades. However, quantum well has long been a challenge for organic semiconductors due to the weak intermolecular interactions, the difficulty of realizing high quality alternate crystalline films. Here, we construct a type II organic crystalline quantum well, in which both electron quantum well and hole quantum well show symmetrical and multiple negative differential resistance peaks, respectively. The blueshifts of absorption spectra and the peak voltage decreasing under illumination conditions are observed. Due to high absorption coefficient of organic semiconductors, photoswitch effect by taking advantage of negative differential resistance of organic quantum well, which owns very thin device structure is demonstrated. Our results prove the promising applications of organic quantum wells, which broaden the types of organic optoelectronic devices.     

On a surface wave amplifier for negative resistance devices

A traveling-wave negative resistance amplifier is proposed using a corrugated surface wave structure. A simple gain equation is derived based on a two-dimensional model. The proposed amplifier is simple to construct and is capable of high-power operation.     

Polymer-based non-volatile resistive random-access memory device fabrication with multi-level switching and negative differential resistance state

Resistive random-access memory (RRAM) has been widely considered for its prospective applicability owing to its non-volatile characteristics. In this study, a polymer-based vacuum-free RRAM device fabricated with the conductive polymer, poly(3,4-ethylene-dioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) was proposed. Pristine PEDOT:PSS coated on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrode was used as the active layer, while PEDOT:PSS with 16 vol% ethylene glycol was added for the top electrode. The PEDOT:PSS-based RRAM device demonstrated controlled non-volatile bipolar switching and a good ON/OFF ratio with a negative differential resistance effect in the high-voltage range during the RESET process. Multi-level switching was also accomplished by controlling the voltage, which demonstrated reliable and non-volatile switching. The switching mechanism of this polymer RRAM device can be explained through the electrochemical filamentary formation as well as the current-induced phase segregation of PEDOT:PSS near the anode(ITO)/polymer interface.     

Tunneling injection into modulation doping structures: a mechanismfor negative differential resistance three-terminal high-speed devices

A tunneling injection mechanism into the channel of a modulation doping field effect transistor is discussed. In the presaturation regime of the drain current, the source current exhibits negative differential resistance as a result of the charge control by the gate field in the channel. The tunneling three-terminal device promises high-frequency operation