Field effect devices having a gate controlled via a nanotube switching element

• US 7,709,880 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nantero Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nantero Incorporated
• Inventors: Bertin, Claude L., Segal, Brent M., Rueckes, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jr.; Jerome
• Application Number:
  US11/742,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20080079027A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 257/315
• US Class Current: 257/314
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/54 using elements simulating biological cells, e.g. neuron
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/025 using fullerenes, e.g. C60, or nanotubes, e.g. carbon or silicon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/17 Memory cell being a nanowire transistor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 23/00 Digital stores characterised by movement of mechanical parts to effect storage, e.g. using balls; Storage elements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 1/0094 Switches making use of nanoelectromechanical systems [NEMS]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/78 with field effect produced by an insulated gate H01L29/7725, H01L29/775, H01L29/778 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 69/00 Erasable-and-programmable ROM [EPROM] devices not provided for in groups H10B41/00 - H10B63/00, e.g. ultraviolet erasable-and-programmable ROM [UVEPROM] devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/221 Carbon nanotubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/732 Nanocantilever
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/733 Nanodiaphragm
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/936 in a transistor or 3-terminal device

Abstract

Field effect devices having a gate controlled via a nanotube switching element. Under one embodiment, a non-volatile transistor device includes a source region and a drain region of a first semiconductor type of material and each in electrical communication with a respective terminal. A channel region of a second semiconductor type of material is disposed between the source and drain region. A gate structure is disposed over an insulator over the channel region and has a corresponding terminal. A nanotube switching element is responsive to a first control terminal and a second control terminal and is electrically positioned in series between the gate structure and the terminal corresponding to the gate structure. The nanotube switching element is electromechanically operable to one of an open and closed state to thereby open or close an electrical communication path between the gate structure and its corresponding terminal. When the nanotube switching element is in the closed state, the channel conductivity and operation of the device is responsive to electrical stimulus at the terminals corresponding to the source and drain regions and the gate structure.

Claims

1. A non-volatile nanotube transistor device, comprising:

a source region and a drain region each in electrical communication with a respective terminal;

a channel region disposed between the source region and the drain region;

a gate structure disposed over the channel region and having a release structure, a switch plate disposed above the channel region, a nanotube switching element disposed between the release structure and the switch plate, a first control terminal in electrical communication with the release structure and a second control terminal in electrical communication with the nanotube switching element;

wherein the nanotube switching element is responsive to electrical stimulus on the first control terminal and the second control terminal so that the nanotube switching element is capable of being electromechanically deflected into a first non-volatile positional state corresponding to a closed electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate and is capable of a second, substantially non-deflected, nonvolatile positional state corresponding to an open electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate; and

wherein, when the nanotube element is in the first positional state corresponding to a closed electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate, the device is responsive to electrical stimulus on at least the second control terminal and the terminal corresponding to the source, and the second control terminal is a gate electrode capable of inducing the channel region to form a conductive path between the source region and the drain region.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the nanotube switching element includes an article formed of nanotube fabric.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the nanotube fabric is a porous nanotube fabric.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the nanotube switching element is further capable of being electromechanically deflected into a third non-volatile positional state corresponding to an open electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate and wherein the release structure has a dielectric surface for contact with the nanotube switching element when creating the second non-volatile positional state.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the source, drain and gate may be stimulated at any voltage level from ground to supply voltage and wherein the first control terminal and second control terminal are stimulated at any voltage level from ground to a switching threshold voltage larger in magnitude than the supply voltage.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein the nanotube fabric comprises single-walled carbon nanotubes.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein the nanotube fabric comprises multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

8. The device of claim 2 wherein the nanotube fabric is substantially a monolayer of nanotubes.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the source region and the drain region are constructed with a first semiconductor type material and the channel region is constructed with a second semiconductor type of material.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein modulation of the channel region includes inverting the conductivity type of the channel region.

11. The device of claim 1 wherein the first control terminal is a release electrode for electrostatically pulling the nanotube switching element out of physical contact with the switch plate so as to form a second non-volatile positional state.

12. The device of claim 4 wherein the first control terminal is a release electrode for electrostatically pulling the nanotube switching element into physical contact with the dielectric surface so as to form a third non-volatile positional state.

13. The device of claim 4 wherein the first control terminal is a release electrode for electrostatically pulling the nanotube switching element out of physical contact with the switch plate so as to form at least one of the second and the third non-volatile positional states.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the combinations of signals applied to the first control terminal, the second control terminal, the terminal corresponding to the source, and the terminal corresponding to the drain are selected to electrostatically pull the nanotube switching element into contact with the switch plate so as to form a first non-volatile positional state.

15. The device of claim 4 wherein the combinations of signals applied to the first control terminal, the second control terminal, the terminal corresponding to the source, and the terminal corresponding to the drain are selected to electrostatically pull the nanotube switching element into physical contact with the switch plate so as to form a first non-volatile positional state.

16. The device of claim 14 wherein when in the first non-volatile positional state, a signal applied to the second control terminal corresponds to a first logic value.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein when in the first non-volatile positional state, a signal applied to the second control terminal corresponds to a first logic value.

18. The device of claim 11 wherein when in the second non-volatile positional state, a signal applied to the second control terminal corresponds to a second logic value.

19. The device of claim 12 wherein when in the third non-volatile positional state, a signal applied to the second control terminal corresponds to a second logic value.

20. The device of claim 13 wherein when in the second non-volatile positional state, a signal applied to the second control terminal corresponds to a second logic value.

21. The device of claim 1 wherein the device has a network of inherent capacitances, and wherein the nanotube switching element is deflectable in response to charge coupling among inherent capacitances.

22. The device of claim 4 wherein the device has a network of inherent capacitances, and wherein the nanotube switching element is deflectable in response to charge coupling among inherent capacitances.

23. The device of claim 1 wherein the first terminal is a release line capable of carrying a first electrical stimulus and the second terminal is a write line capable of carrying a second electrical stimulus, and wherein the first electrical stimulus carried by the release line is selected to enable or disable the nonvolatile storage of the second electrical stimulus on the write line.

24. The device of claim 4 wherein the first terminal is a release line capable of carrying a first electrical stimulus and the second terminal is a write line capable of carrying a second electrical stimulus, and wherein the first electrical stimulus carried by the release line is selected to enable or disable the nonvolatile storage of the second electrical stimulus on the write line.

25. The device of claim 23 wherein when the first electrical stimulus and the second electrical stimulus are selected and reselected multiple times, the source region, the drain region, the channel region and the gate structure substantially retain electrical states of the source region, the drain region, the channel region and the gate structure, respectively.

26. The device of claim 24 wherein when the first electrical stimulus and the second electrical stimulus are selected and reselected multiple times, the source region, the drain region, the channel region and the gate structure substantially retain electrical states of the source region, the drain region, the channel region and the gate structure, respectively.

27. The device of claim 14, wherein the switch plate disposed between the channel region and the nanotube switching element controls the conductivity of the channel region by inducing an electric field in the channel region.

28. The device of claim 15, wherein the switch plate disposed between the channel region and the nanotube switching element controls the conductivity of the channel region by inducing an electric field in the channel region

29. A memory array capable of storing multiple memory states, the array having multiple non-volatile transistor devices capable of storing logic values, each device comprising:

a source region and a drain region each in electrical communication with a respective terminal;

a channel region disposed between the source and drain region;

a gate structure disposed over the channel region and having a release structure, a switch plate disposed above the channel region, a nanotube switching element disposed between the release structure and the switch plate, a first control terminal in electrical communication with the release structure and a second control terminal in electrical communication with the nanotube switching element;

wherein the nanotube switching element is responsive to electrical stimulus on the first control terminal and the second control terminal so that the nanotube switching element is capable of being electromechanically deflected into a first non-volatile positional state corresponding to a closed electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate and is capable of a second, substantially non-deflected, nonvolatile positional state corresponding to an open electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate; and

wherein, when the nanotube element is in the first positional state corresponding to a closed electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate, the device is responsive to electrical stimulus on at least the second control terminal and the terminal corresponding to the source, and the second control terminal is a gate electrode capable of inducing the channel region to form a conductive path between the source region and the drain region.

30. The memory array of claim 29 wherein the nanotube switching element is further capable of being electromechanically deflected into a second non-volatile positional state corresponding to an open electrical communication path between the nanotube switching element and the switch plate and wherein the release structure has a dielectric surface for contact with the nanotube switching element when creating the second non-volatile positional state.