SI Diamond Technology, Inc. Announces the Successful Operation of A
Nanotriode-Type Transistor Utilizing Carbon Nanotubes
AUSTIN, Texas, May 3, 2001 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- SI Diamond Technology,
Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SIDT) through its subsidiary, Field Emission Picture
Element Technology, Inc. (FEPET) today announced that it has operated a new
nanotriode-type transistor from carbon nanotubes. Carbon nanotubes, which
resemble nanowires, are 500 times smaller than today's silicon transistors.
While others are demonstrating transistors operating in a solid-state format
using the semiconductor properties of carbon nanotubes, FEPET's nanotriode-type
transistor exploits the cold electron emission from these films in a vacuum
microelectronic structure. It is FEPET's belief that the nanotriode type
transistor that is a vertical device will offer much denser packaging than
lateral structured transistors.
The structure of the nanotriode-type transistor is based on narrow vertical
trenches in silicon having a special cathode metal at the bottom and ending with
high quality gate dielectric coated with a metal. The carbon nanotubes are grown
by selective methods in these trenches. Datacurves of the nanotriode-type
transistor are presented on the website www.carbontech.net under the "Nanotriode
Type Transistor" section showing operations at gate voltages as low as 10 volts
achieving currents as high as 5 microamperes.
"Our research and development efforts show that carbon nanotubes are a valid
approach to microelectronic miniaturization beyond silicon technology," said Dr.
Zvi Yaniv, President and COO.
"We hope that the achievements of FEPET and others will spur the study of carbon
nanotubes in the field of micro and nanoscale electronics," said Marc Eller,
Chairman and CEO. |
