Microsystems for Bioelectronics, 2nd Edition

Chapter 4

Fundamental limits for logic and memory

Abstract

After a brief overview of the desirable behavioral characteristics of a binary switch, an illustration is given of the manner in which an energy barrier can be used to create and preserve a binary state. Unfortunately, energy barriers can be surmounted by either Boltzman over-barrier transitions or by electron tunneling through the barrier. Analyzes are offered with respect to the barrier height required to minimize over-barrier transitions and for barrier widths needed to prevent loss of state identity due to tunneling. It appears from these models that in the vicinity of 5 nm, tunneling quickly destroys switch viability. Of course for information processing, one must be able to ...