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US 6,787,795 B2Granted
Logic apparatus and logic circuit
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsKen Uchida, Junji Koga, Ryuji Ohba
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A logic apparatus having first and second single-electron devices connected serially or in parallel. Each of the single-electron devices includes a conductive island insulatively disposed between two tunnel barriers, which separate the conductive island from respective source/drain electrodes. A first charge storage region is insulatively disposed over and under the conductive island and a gate electrode, respectively. When charges are accumulated in the charge storage region, a Coulomb oscillation of the respective device is shifted by a half-period from the Coulomb oscillation that results when no charge has accumulated therein.
Claims25
A logic apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first single-electron device comprising,
- a first conductive island insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate,
- at least two first tunnel barriers insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the first conductive island being interposed between the first tunnel barriers,
- first and second electrodes insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the first conductive island being coupled with the first and second electrodes through the first tunnel barriers, respectively, and
- a first charge storage region insulatively disposed over the first conductive island;
- a second single-electron device comprising,
- a second conductive island insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate,
- at least two second tunnel barriers insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the second conductive island being interposed between the second tunnel barriers,
- third and fourth electrodes insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the second conductive island being coupled with the third and fourth electrodes through the second tunnel barriers, respectively, and
- a second charge storage region insulatively disposed over the second conductive island;
- and
- a connection between the third electrode of the second single-electron device and the first electrode of the first single-electron device,
- wherein, for each of the first and second single-electron devices, a Coulomb oscillation in a state that charges are accumulated in the charge storage region is shifted by a half-period from the Coulomb oscillation in a state that no charge is accumulated therein.
11 more elements
A logic circuit comprising:
- a first logic circuit using a single-electron device having an oscillation according to a voltage, a capacitor configured to selectively store charges, a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal;
- a second logic circuit using a single-electron device having an oscillation according to a voltage, a capacitor configured to selectively store charges, a first terminal connected to the first terminal of the first logic circuit, a second terminal, and a third terminal;
- a resistor connected to a node of the first terminals of the first and second logic circuits and a voltage source;
- a ground terminal connected to the second terminals of the first and second logic circuits;
- and
- logic signal input terminals, connected to the third terminals of the first and second logic circuit, inputted with logic signals.
3 more elements
A logic apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first single-electron device comprising,
- a first conductive island insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate,
- at least two first tunnel barriers insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the first conductive island being interposed between the first tunnel barriers,
- first and second electrodes insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the first conductive island being coupled with the first and second electrodes through the first tunnel barriers, respectively, and
- a first means for storing charges to vary an energy state of the first conductive island;
- a second single-electron device comprising,
- a second conductive island insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate,
- at least two second tunnel barriers insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the second conductive island being interposed between the second tunnel barriers,
- third and fourth electrodes insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the second conductive island being coupled with the third and fourth electrodes through the second tunnel barriers, respectively, and
- a second means for storing charges to vary an energy state of the second conductive island;
- and
- a connection between the third electrode of the second-single electron device and the first electrode of the first single-electron device,
- wherein, for each of the first and second single-electron devices, a Coulomb oscillation in a state that charges are accumulated in the means for storing charges is shifted by a half-period from the Coulomb oscillation in a state that no charge is accumulated therein.
11 more elements
A logic apparatus comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a first single-electron device comprising,
- a first conductive island insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate,
- at least two first tunnel barriers insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the first conductive island being interposed between the first tunnel barriers,
- first and second electrodes insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the first conductive island being coupled with the first and second electrodes through the first tunnel barriers, respectively, and
- a first means for storing charges to vary an energy state of the first conductive island;
- a second single-electron device comprising,
- a second conductive island insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate,
- at least two second tunnel barriers insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the second conductive island being interposed between the second tunnel barriers,
- third and fourth electrodes insulatively disposed over the semiconductor substrate, the second conductive island being coupled with the third and fourth electrodes through the second tunnel barriers, respectively, and
- a second means for storing charges to vary an energy state of the second conductive island;
- a connection between the third electrode of the second-single electron device and the first electrode of the first single-electron device;
- a resistor between a node of the first electrode of the first single-electron device, the third electrode of the second single-electron device, and a voltage source;
- and
- at least one ground terminal connected to the second electrode of the first single-electron device and the fourth electrode of the second single-electron device.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.