Multiple Functionality in Nanotube Transistors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that carbon nanotube transistors can function both as ballistic FETs and resonant tunneling devices with negative differential resistance, maintaining operation at nanoscale dimensions and room temperature.

Contribution

It reveals the dual functionality of nanotube transistors, showing their potential for versatile applications in nanoelectronics through quantum transport calculations.

Findings

Operates as a ballistic FET with excellent characteristics at 10 nm scale

Exhibits resonant tunneling with negative differential resistance at higher gate voltages

Remains in Coulomb blockade regime at room temperature

Abstract

Calculations of quantum transport in a carbon nanotube transistor show that such a device offers unique functionality. It can operate as a ballistic field-effect transistor, with excellent characteristics even when scaled to 10 nm dimensions. At larger gate voltages, channel inversion leads to resonant tunneling through an electrostatically defined nanoscale quantum dot. Thus the transistor becomes a gated resonant tunelling device, with negative differential resistance at a tunable threshold. For the dimensions considered here, the device operates in the Coulomb blockade regime, even at room temperature.