Cross-shape reconfigurable field effect transistor for flexible signal routing

Abstract

Reconfigurable field effect transistors are one of the most promising emerging device concepts for future computing systems, due to their dynamic p- and n-channel behavior. Over the past decade, there have been significant advances on electrical characteristics and circuit designs, but there are still many additional options to explore. In this letter, a disruptive common-channel reconfigurable filed effect transistor concept is presented experimentally for the first time. A cross-shape integrated nanowire structure is fabricated on a silicon-on-insulator wafer using top-down methods for higher reproducibility. The fabricated cross-shape reconfigurable field effect transistor is composed of a doping-free common channel with four independent silicided source and drain junctions, a silicon dioxide dielectric layer and four independent gates aligned on top of the silicide junctions. By assembling this unique common-channel structure, device level current routing was provided. A detailed comprehensive study of the cross-shape reconfigurable field effect transistor electrical characteristics are presented. The fabricated device demonstrates nearly equal transistor characteristics for each branch, which enables new complementary circuit designs to be introduced. We demonstrated an inverter and a multiplexer circuit both built from the same two transistors with enhanced functionality when compared to a single source configuration.