Study on the Transient Behaviors of Concentric MIS Tunneling Diodes by Rapid Voltage Switching at Ring/Center and Read at Center/Ring

In this study, the coupling mechanism and transient behaviors of the coupled concentric metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) tunneling diode (TD) devices using various operational methods were investigated. Oxide charges and operating manners were identified as influential factors in the coupling mechanism. Specifically, devices with thinner oxide and ring-to-center operating manners exhibited stronger coupling strength. The induction of transient current was closely tied to the recovery process in the nearby MIS TD of the coupled device, returning to its thermal equilibrium state. Oxide charges and switching modes, whether open or grounded, were confirmed to impact minority carrier behaviors, resulting in changes in transient current polarity. Notably, the observed prolonged negative transient currents at the center, during rapid voltage switching to open, showed a retention time of 267 ms. In addition, we explored the relationship between the oxide thickness of the coupled device and its retention time, revealing that the device with around 25- Å-thick oxide layer demonstrated longer retention. Finally, combining two switching modes, the coupled device demonstrated its capability as a dynamic memory, showing two distinct states with different current polarities and a stable current window. Remarkably, the power consumption for each operating cycle was about 53.2 pJ.