G. L. Snider

Electron transport in AlGaN–GaN heterostructures grown on 6H–SiC substrates

We investigated two-dimensional electron transport in doped AlGaN–GaN heterostructures (with the electron sheet concentration ns≈1013 cm−2) grown on conducting 6H–SiC substrates in the temperature range T=0.3–300 K. The electron mobility in AlGaN–GaN heterostructures grown on SiC was higher than in those on sapphire substrates, especially at cryogenic temperatures. The highest measured Hall mobility at room temperature was μH=2019 cm2/V s. At low temperatures, the electron mobility increased approximately five times and saturated below 10 K at μH=10250 cm2/V s. The experimental results are compared with the electron mobility calculations accounting for various electron scattering mechanisms.We investigated two-dimensional electron transport in doped AlGaN–GaN heterostructures (with the electron sheet concentration ns≈1013 cm−2) grown on conducting 6H–SiC substrates in the temperature range T=0.3–300 K. The electron mobility in AlGaN–GaN heterostructures grown on SiC was higher than in those on sapphire substrates, especially at cryogenic temperatures. The highest measured Hall mobility at room temperature was μH=2019 cm2/V s. At low temperatures, the electron mobility increased approximately five times and saturated below 10 K at μH=10250 cm2/V s. The experimental results are compared with the electron mobility calculations accounting for various electron scattering mechanisms.

Experimental demonstration of a binary wire for quantum-dot cellular automata

Experimental studies are presented of a binary wire based on the quantum-dot cellular automata computational paradigm. The binary wire consists of capacitively coupled double-dot cells charged with single electrons. The polarization switch caused by an applied input signal in one cell leads to the change in polarization of the adjacent cell and so on down the line, as in falling dominos. Wire polarization was measured using single islands as electrometers. Experimental results are in very good agreement with the theory and confirm there are no metastable states in the wire.

Quantum-dot cellular automata: Review and recent experiments (invited)

An introduction to the operation of quantum-dot cellular automata is presented, along with recent experimental results. Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is a transistorless computation paradigm that addresses the issues of device density and interconnection. The basic building blocks of the QCA architecture, such as AND, OR, and NOT are presented. The experimental device is a four-dot QCA cell with two electrometers. The dots are metal islands, which are coupled by capacitors and tunnel junctions. An improved design of the cell is presented in which all four dots of the cell are coupled by tunnel junctions. The operation of this basic cell is confirmed by the externally controlled polarization change of the cell.

Fanout gate in quantum-dot cellular automata

We present an experimental demonstration of a fanout gate for quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA), where a signal applied to a single input cell is amplified by that cell and sent to two output cells. Each cell is a single-electron latch composed of three metal dots, which are connected in series by tunnel junctions. Binary information is represented by an excess electron localized to one of the two peripheral metal dots of each latch. Fanout is demonstrated by writing a bit to the input latch and then simultaneously transferring the bit to both output latches using two-phase clocking.

Quilt Packaging: High-Density, High-Speed Interchip Communications

ldquoQuilt packagingrdquo (QP), a new superconnect paradigm for interchip communication, is presented. QP uses conducting nodules that protrude from the vertical facets of integrated circuits to effect a dense, fast, and reduced-power method of interfacing multiple die together within a package or on a multichip module. The concept of QP is presented along with a discussion of advantages over traditional system-on-chip and other system-in-package technologies. A process flow and results of chip fabrication are detailed. Simulations show expected signal propagation between adjacent die of greater than 200 GHz, and measurements of interconnected chips confirming low losses and resonance-free operation to at least 40 GHz have been achieved.

Scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy investigations of QCA molecules.

Quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA), a computation paradigm based on the Coulomb interactions between neighboring cells. The key idea is to represent binary information, not by the state of a current switch (transistor), but rather by the configuration of charge in a bistable cell. In its molecular realization, the QCA cell can be a single molecule. QCA is ideally suited for molecular implementation since it exploits the molecules ability to contain charge, and does not rely on any current flow between the molecules. We have examined using an UHV-STM some of the QCA molecules like silicon phthalocyanines and Fe-Ru complexes on Au (111) and Si (111) surfaces, which are suitable candidates for the molecular QCA approach.

Defect detection in nano-scale transistors based on radio-frequency reflectometry

Radio-frequency reflectometry in silicon single-electron transistors (SETs) is presented. At low temperatures (<4 K), in addition to the expected Coulomb blockade features associated with charging of the SET dot, quasi-periodic oscillations are observed that persist in the fully depleted regime where the SET dot is completely empty. A model, confirmed by simulations, indicates that these oscillations originate from charging of an unintended floating gate located in the heavily doped polycrystalline silicon gate stack. The technique used in this experiment can be applied for detailed spectroscopy of various charge defects in nanoscale SETs and field effect transistors.

Clocked quantum-dot cellular automata devices: experimental studies

Presents an experimental demonstration of two novel clocked QCA devices - a QCA latch and a QCA shift register. We demonstrate the operation of the devices, and discuss sources and methods of lowering the digital errors in QCA clocked devices.

Direct detection of a transport-blocking trap in a nanoscaled silicon single-electron transistor by radio-frequency reflectometry

The continuous downscaling of transistors results in nanoscale devices which require fewer and fewer charged carriers for their operation. The ultimate charge controlled device, the single-electron transistor (SET), controls the transfer of individual electrons. It is also the most sensitive electrometer, and as a result the electron transport through it can be dramatically affected by nearby charges. Standard direct-current characterization techniques, however, are often unable to unambiguously detect and resolve the origin of the observed changes in SET behavior arising from changes in the charge state of a capacitively coupled trap. Using a radio-frequency (RF) reflectometry technique, we are able to unequivocally detect this process, in very close agreement with modeling of the traps occupation probability.

Carbon nanotube gated lateral resonant tunneling field-effect transistors

We have produced a lateral resonant tunneling field-effect transistor using a Y-junction multiwalled carbon nanotube as the dual gate on a narrow channel etched from a modulation-doped GaAs∕AlGaAs heterostructure. When the Y-junction nanotube is negatively biased, electrons traveling from source to drain along the channel face a voltage-tunable electrostatic double-barrier potential. We measured the three-terminal IDS(VDS,VGS) characteristics of the device at 4.2 K and observed gate-induced structure in the transconductance and negative differential resistance in the drain current. We interpret the data in terms of resonant tunneling through one-dimensional subbands confined by a self-consistently calculated electrostatic potential.