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Low Voltage Transistors

Technology Benefits

This invention details very low power transistors operated from a 0.3 volt or lower power supply and thresholds as low as 0.1-0.2 volts or lower, and yet do not suffer from large leakage currents in the OFF state. This represents a third of the supply voltage typically utilized by modern logic transistors. Such a significant voltage reduction offers the potential for a great reduction in power consumption. Reduced power consumption is especially beneficial for portable devices that make use of exhaustible or rechargeable power supplies, e.g., batteries. Reduced voltage levels are also beneficial for reducing heat generation and reducing potential interference effects between devices and interconnections between devices. These new transistors are also able to turn on and off with only a small input voltage. In particular, the invention provides field effect transistors that achieve subthreshold swing lower than 60 mV/decade (which is the typical limit for conventional transistors). At the same time, transistors of the invention are capable of operation at high speeds.

Detailed Technology Description

Engineers from UC San Diego have patented novel transistor designs having a substrate, a structure supported by the substrate including a source, drain, gate, and channel, wherein the source and the channel are made of different materials, and a tunnel junction formed between the source and the channel, whereby the tunnel junction is configured for injecting carriers from the source to the channel. The materials used in the source and the channel are different, and are chosen in order to optimize the tunneling current.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US20090072270A1
Application Number: US2008156547A
Inventor: Asbeck, Peter | Wang, Lingquan
Priority Date: 31 May 2007
Priority Number: US20090072270A1
Application Date: 2 Jun 2008
Publication Date: 19 Mar 2009
IPC Current: H01L0029772
US Class: 257190 | 257E29242
Title: Low voltage transistors
Usefulness: Low voltage transistors
Novelty: Transistor has substrate, structure supported by substrate and containing source, drain and channel, and tunnel junction formed between source and channel and injecting carriers from source to channel

Industry

Electronics

Sub Category

Semiconductor

Application No.

8148718

Others

Intellectual Property Info

This technology is protected by US Patent No. 8,148,718 and commercialization rights are available for license.

Tech ID/UC Case

22947/2006-163-0

Related Cases

2006-163-0

*Abstract

A critical issue for scaled logic devices is the ability to operate with reduced power supply voltages, both in order to reduce power dissipation and in order to mitigate high electric field related problems. The sub-threshold swing of present metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) devices (at best 60 mV/decade), and the resultant leakage current, is a major impediment to further scaling of power supply voltage.

*IP Issue Date

Apr 3, 2012

*Principal Investigator

Name: Peter Asbeck

Department:

Name: Lingquan Wang

Department:

Country/Region

USA