Method of orperating a dual mode FET & logic circuit having negative differential resistance mode
AssigneeProgressant Technologies, Inc.
InventorTsu-Jae King
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for operating a dual mode FET and a logic circuit to include a negative differential resistance (NDR) characteristic is disclosed. In a FET embodiment, an NDR characteristic is selectively enabled/disabled by biasing a body contact, thus permitting a dual behavior of the device. Larger collections of such FETs can be synthesized to form dual mode logic circuits as well, so that a single circuit can perform more than one logic operation depending on whether an NDR mode is enabled or not.
Claims23
A method of operating an electronic device comprising the steps of:
- (a) operating a semiconductor structure in a first mode characterized by a negative differential resistance characteristic in at least one operating region of the structure;
- and
- (b) operating said semiconductor structure in a second mode characterized by a non-negative differential resistance characteristic in said at least one operating region;
- and
- (c) coupling a region of said semiconductor structure to a mode selection signal;
- and
- (d) selecting whether said first mode or said second mode is enabled for said semiconductor structure using said mode selection signal.
A method of operating a silicon based negative differential resistance (NDR) capable device comprising the steps of:
- selectively operating a silicon based NDR field effect transistor (FET) in either an NDR mode or a non-NDR mode;
- wherein in said negative differential resistance mode the silicon based dual mode NDR FET includes at least one operating region in which it exhibits negative differential resistance, and in said non-negative differential resistance mode the silicon based dual mode NDR FET does not exhibit negative differential resistance in any operating region;
- and
- providing a mode selection voltage potential which in a first state causes said silicon based NDR FET to operate in an NDR mode, and which in a second state causes said silicon based NDR FET to operate in a non-NDR mode;
- wherein said mode selection voltage potential is applied to a semiconductor region coupled to the silicon based NDR FET.
A method of operating a multi-mode electronic circuit comprising the steps of:
- selectively operating at least one first type semiconductor structure with a negative differential resistance mode;
- and
- receiving a mode selection value, said mode selection value determining whether said negative differential resistance mode is enabled or disabled;
- and
- coupling said at least one first type semiconductor structure to a second type semiconductor structure, said second type semiconductor structure operating only in a non-negative differential resistance mode;
- wherein said at least one first type semiconductor structure and said second type semiconductor structure are interconnected and operate as part of a single multi-mode electronic circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.