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Impact ionization-induced bistability in CMOS transistors at cryogenic temperatures for capacitorless memory
A Zaslavsky1,2, C A Richter2, P R Shrestha2,3
1School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
Applied Physics Letters
|March 6, 2023
Summary
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) transistors exhibit bistability at cryogenic temperatures due to impact ionization. This phenomenon enables novel capacitorless single-transistor memory devices for quantum information science.
Area of Science:
- Solid State Physics
- Quantum Computing Hardware
Background:
- Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) silicon transistors are essential for quantum information science.
- Cryogenic operation of CMOS transistors deviates from standard performance, presenting unique challenges and opportunities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the operational deviations of commercial CMOS transistors at cryogenic temperatures.
- To identify the physical mechanism behind observed bistability and hysteresis in transistor characteristics.
- To explore the potential of these devices for cryogenic memory applications.
Main Methods:
- Operating commercial 180-nm-process CMOS transistors (n- and p-type) at cryogenic temperatures and voltages >1.3 V.
- Measuring drain current as a function of gate voltage (V_G) to observe current jumps and hysteretic loops.
- Verifying the impact ionization mechanism through independent body potential measurements.
Main Results:
- Observed sharp current jumps and stable hysteretic loops in both n- and p-type CMOS transistors.
- Identified impact ionization charging of the transistor body as the cause of device bistability and effective back-gating.
- Demonstrated a >10^7 ratio of high to low drain current states within the hysteretic loops.
Conclusions:
- Impact ionization is the key mechanism for cryogenic CMOS transistor bistability.
- The observed hysteresis enables the development of compact, capacitorless single-transistor memory for cryogenic environments.
- These findings are significant for advancing quantum information science and cryogenic electronics.
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