Technology - Gate All-Around Field Effect Transistors Including Quantum-Based Features

Gate All-Around Field Effect Transistors Including Quantum-Based Features

A device that increases computational processing power in a single Gate All-Around Field Effect Transistor including quantum-based features.

Background:

A major problem with conventional transistor technology is that conventional MOSFETs are ill equipped to implement multivalued logic. As the number of states a transistor can store increases, the number of transistors required on a chip decrease. Thus, with binary transistors, more transistors are needed to carry out a given number of logic functions. A related problem with conventional transistor technology is that as transistor size continues to shrink, charge leakage becomes more prominent and noise margin becomes less uniform. In non-volatile memory charge leakage will, over time, result in destruction of the information stored in a memory cell.

Technology Overview:

The device developed by SUNY Farmingdale State College researchers contains Circular Multi-channel (e.g., three-state, four-state) Gate All-Around Field Effect Transistors (GAAFET) which utilize quantum-based features or layers therein to increase computational processing during operation. Examples, of the quantum-based features included in the GAAFET include a plurality of quantum dots (QD) or quantum well channels. The quantum-based features are arranged in the GAAFET in a circumferential layer(s) that surrounds a nanowire and is/are disposed below a gate contact. Intervening layers may also be provided within the GAAFET to increase/improve electrical stability for the quantum-based features.

Advantages:

•   Generates 4,5, or 6 states, as opposed to 2 conventional FET
•   Device easily fabricated using conventional CMOS technology
•   Circuit architecture very similar to CMOS binary circuits
•   Device model and circuit model are compatible
•   Larger, denser memory in a single transistor for greater processing power
•   Increases in device integration, speed, efficiency, and cost savings

Applications:

•   Computer Science
•   Conventional Semiconductor Manufacturing Process
•   Advanced Computational Logic
•   Multi-State Storage
•   Large Scientific and Research Instruments
•   Custom Computational Logic Devices