Copper atomic-scale transistors

• DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.8.57
• Publication Date: 2017-03-01T11:13:30Z
• Authors: Fangqing Xie; Maryna N Kavalenka; Moritz Röger; Daniel Albrecht; Hendrik Hölscher; Jürgen Leuthold; Thomas Schimmel
• Keywords: Atomic units

We investigated copper as a working material for metallic atomic-scale transistors and confirmed that can be fabricated operated electrochemically in electrolyte (CuSO 4 + H 2 SO ) bi-distilled water under ambient conditions with three microelectrodes (source, drain gate). The electrochemical switching-on potential of the transistor is below 350 mV, switching-off between 0 −170 mV. current above 1 μA, which compatible semiconductor devices. Both sign amplitude voltage applied across source electrodes ( U bias influence switching rate deposition on electrodes, correspondingly shift operation potential. switched using function generator without computer-controlled feedback mechanism. transistors, only one or two atoms at narrowest constriction, were realized to switch G = 2e /h; e being electron charge, h Planck’s constant) by generator. reach up 10 Hz. demonstrates volatile/non-volatile dual functionalities. Such an optimal merging logic memory may open perspective processor-in-memory logic-in-memory architectures, alternative besides silver fully transistors.