Abstract:
Non-volatile and radiation-hard switching and memory devices (225) using vertical nano-tubes (155) and reversibly held in state by van der Waals' forces and methods of fabricating the devices. Means for sensing the state of the devices include measuring capacitance, and tunneling and field emission currents.
Abstract:
A trench-type storage device includes a trench in a substrate (100), with bundles of carbon nanotubes (202) lining the trench and a trench conductor (300) filling the trench. A trench dielectric (200) may be formed between the carbon nanotubes and the sidewall of the trench. The bundles of carbon nanotubes form an open cylinder structure lining the trench. The device is formed by providing a carbon nanotube catalyst structure on the substrate and patterning the trench in the substrate; the carbon nanotubes are then grown down into the trench to line the trench with the carbon nanotube bundles, after which the trench is filled with the trench conductor.
Abstract:
A vertical transistor particularly suitable for high density integration includes potentially independent gate structures (3230) o opposite sides of a semiconductor pillar (2910) formed by etching in a trench. The gate structure is surrounded by insulting material (2620) which is selectively etchable to isolation material surrounding the transistor. A contact (3820) is made to the lower end of the pillar by selectively etching the isolation material selective to the insulating material. The upper end of the pillar is covered by a cap (2730) and sidewalls of selectively etchable materials so that gate and source connection openings (3720, 3620) can also be made by selective etching with good registration tolerance.
Abstract:
Micro-valves (257) and micro-pumps (400) and methods of fabricating micro- valves (257) and micro-pumps (400). The micro-valves (257) and micro-pumps (400) include electrically conductive diaphragms (155) fabricated from electrically conductive nano-fibers. Fluid flow through the micro-valves (257) and pumping action of the micro-pumps (400) is accomplished by applying electrostatic forces to the electrically conductive diaphragms (155).
Abstract:
Conductive sidewall spacer stractures are formed using a method tiiat patterns structures (mandrels) and activates the sidewalls of the structures. Metal ions are attached to the sidewalls of the structures and these metal ions are reduced to form seed material. The structures are then trimmed and the seed material is plated to form wiring on the sidewalls of the structures.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a wrapped-gate transistor including a substrate having an upper surface and first and second side surfaces opposing to each other. Source and drain regions (28) are formed in the substrate with a channel region therebetween. The channel region extends from the first side surface to the second side surfaces of the substrate. A gate dielectric layer (40) is formed on the substrate. A gate electrode (42) is formed on the gate dielectric layer (40) to cover the channel region from the upper surface and the first and second side surfaces with the gate dielectric (40) therebetween. The substrate is a silicon island (12) formed on an insulation layer of an SOI (silicon-on-insulator) substrate or a conventional non-SOI substrate, and has four side surfaces including the first and second side surfaces. The source and drain regions (28) are formed on the portions of the substrate adjoining the third and fourth side surfaces which are perpendicular to the first and second side surfaces. The wrapped-gate structure provides a better and quicker potential control within the channel area, which yields steep sub-threshold slope and low sensitivity to the "body-to-source" voltage.
Abstract:
A silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device and structure having locally strained regions in the silicon active layer formed by increasing the thickness of underlying regions of a buried insulating layer separating the silicon active layer from the substrate. The stress transferred from the underlying thickened regions of the insulating layer to the overlying strained regions increases carrier mobility in these confined regions of the active layer. Devices formed in and on the silicon active layer may benefit from the increased carrier mobility in the spaced-apart strained regions.
Abstract:
The present invention features double- or dual-gate logic devices that contain gate conductors that are consistently self-aligned and that have channels that are of constant width. A single-crystal silicon wafer is utilized as the channel material. Pillars or stacks of self aligned dual gate MOSFETs are generated by etching, via the juxtaposition of overlapping germanium-containing gate conductor regions. Vertically etching through regions of both gate conducting material and dielectric insulating material provides an essentially perfect, self-aligned dual gate stack.
Abstract:
The present invention features double- or dual-gate logic devices that contain gate conductors that are consistently self-aligned and that have channels that are of constant width. A single-crystal silicon wafer is utilized as the channel material. Pillars or stacks of self aligned dual gate MOSFETs are generated by etching, via the juxtaposition of overlapping germanium-containing gate conductor regions. Vertically etching through regions of both gate conducting material and dielectric insulating material provides an essentially perfect, self-aligned dual gate stack.