Modeling the PiezoElectronic Transistor - A nanoscale, strain-based transduction device for fast low power switching

Abstract

We have invented a post-CMOS transduction device based on a piezoelectrically driven metal insulator transition termed the PiezoElectronic Transistor (PET) [1]. An input voltage pulse activates a piezoelectric element (PE) [2] which transduces input voltage into an electro-acoustic pulse that in turn drives an insulator to metal transition (IMT) in a piezoresistive element (PR) [3,4]; the transition efficiently transduces the electro-acoustic pulse to voltage. Using the known properties of bulk materials, we show using modeling that the PET achieves multi-GHz clock speeds with voltages as low as 0.1 V and a large On/Off switching ratio (≈104) for digital logic [1]. The PET switch is compatible with CMOS-style logic. At larger scale the PET is predicted to function effectively as a large-area low voltage device for use in sensor applications and at larger yet as a RF-switch with an excellent figure of merit. Three demonstration devices have been fabricated to show proof of concept [5].