Ambipolar synaptic devices
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsAli Afzali-Ardakani, Tze-Chiang Chen, Kailash Gopalakrishnan, Bahman Hekmatshoartabari
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Abstract
Device architectures based on trapping and de-trapping holes or electrons and/or recombination of both types of carriers are obtained by carrier trapping either in near-interface deep ambipolar states or in quantum wells/dots, either serving as ambipolar traps in semiconductor layers or in gate dielectric/barrier layers. In either case, the potential barrier for trapping is small and retention is provided by carrier confinement in the deep trap states and/or quantum wells/dots. The device architectures are usable as three terminal or two terminal devices.
Claims5
A method comprising:
- obtaining a substrate including a semiconductor layer including n+/p+ regions and first and second electrically insulating layers, the semiconductor layer being between the first and second electrically insulating layers;
- removing a portion of the semiconductor layer, thereby forming a space between the first and second electrically insulating layers and adjoining a remaining portion of the semiconductor layer, the remaining portion of the semiconductor layer being functional as a first source/drain structure;
- growing a channel layer adjoining the remaining portion of the semiconductor layer and containing quantum structures in the space such that the quantum structures are functional as ambipolar traps, and
- forming a second source/drain structure including p+ and n+ regions adjoining the channel layer and configured to inject both electrons and holes into the channel layer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.