High‐Performance and Radiation‐Hard Carbon Nanotube Complementary Static Random‐Access Memory

Abstract

AbstractSignificant progress on carbon‐nanotube (CNT) electronics means that they are a serious candidate for use in high‐performance integrated circuits (ICs). However, few works have focused on fabricating and exploring CNT complementary metal–oxide‐semiconductor (CMOS) static random‐access memory (SRAM), which is an integral part of most digital ICs. High‐performance complementary top‐gated field‐effect transistors (FETs) are fabricated through a doping‐free technology based on solution‐derived CNT films and are used in SRAM cells with a high yield and high uniformity. CNT CMOS‐architecture 6‐transistor (6‐T) SRAM exhibits read/write margins as high as ≈0.4 V with a supply voltage of 1.0 V and stable dynamic properties. Furthermore, the effects of radiation the CNT CMOS FETs and SRAM ICs are explored. Owing to the robust CC bonds in the CNTs, the ultrathin gate insulator layer in the devices, and a lack of a requirement for an isolation region, CNT FETs and SRAM cells can withstand a 2.2 Mrad total ionizing dose (TID) with a high rate of 560 rad s−1, indicating that they could be used as radiation‐hard ICs for applications in hostile environments. TID hardness of CNT‐based SRAM ICs is reported for the first time, and a dose of 2.2 Mrad is the highest measured radiation dose for CNT FETs and ICs.