Sub-threshold Nanoelectronics: Nano-electromechanical Relay Switches (NEMS)

Since the 1950s, improvements in integrated circuit performance and functionality have been orchestrated primarily by transistor length scaling and increased integration, which has led to the proliferation of the information technology with unprecedented social and economic impact. Transistor, however, is a relatively insensitive switch, and demand an operating voltage close to 1 Volt for good ON/OFF switching.  Wires in electrical circuit, however, have a noise level of ~1 millivolt. Therefore, in-principle a more sensitive switch could be powered by a few millivolts, leading to a power saving of five orders of magnitude or more.

HIRG researches on new switch technologies that would operate at low voltages. Current research on this topic include the nano-electromechanical relay switch devices as well as molecular tunneling junctions.

Publications:

1. B. Saha, B. Osoba, T. J .K. Liu, and J. Wu, "Nanoelectromechanical Relay Switch Operations at 40 mV enabled by Self-assembled Molecular Coating" (in-review, 2018)

2. B. Osoba, B. Saha, S. Almeida, J. Patil, L. Brandt, M. Roots, E. Acosta, J. Wu and T. J. K. Liu, "Variability Study of Low Voltage MEM Relay Operation" IEEE Transections on Electron Devices, 65, 1529 (2018).

3. B. Osoba, B. Saha, L. Dougherty, J. Edgington, C. Qian, F. Niroui, J. H. Lang, V. Bulovic, J. Wu and T. J .K. Liu, "Sub-50 mV NEM Relay Operation Enabled by Self-Assembled Molecular Coating". IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) Technical Digest, pp 655-658, (2016).

4.. B. Saha, A. Peschot, B. Osoba, and T. J. K. Liu and J. Wu, "Reducing Adhesion Energy of Mirco Relay Contacts Through Surface Engineering" APL Materials, 5, 036103, (2017).