Nanoelectronics with Tunneling Devices

Abstract

From today’s point of view tunneling elements (TE) such as the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) are of fundamental relevance for nanoelectronics. They are usually of nanometric scale in a single dimension and are promising candidates as precursors for future nanoscaled ULSI circuits. At present they are the most mature type of all quantum-effect devices. Compared to single-electron transistors (SET) and more advanced quantum-dot architectures, resonant tunneling devices are already operating at room temperature. Technological advances, such as the development of a III–V large scale integration process, and the demonstration of a Si/Si0.5Ge0.5/Si resonant iuterband tunneling diode, are a challenge for circuit designers to develop digital logic families and memory arrays.