Super CMOS devices on a microelectronics system
This application is directed to a low cost IC solution that provides Super CMOS microelectronics macros. Hereinafter, SCMOS refers to Super CMOS and Schottky CMOS. SCMOS device solutions includes a niche circuit element, such as complementary low threshold Schottky barrier diode pairs (SBD) made by selected metal barrier contacts (Co, Ti, Ni or other metal atoms or compounds) to P- and N- Si beds of the CMOS transistors. A DTL like new circuit topology and designed wide contents of broad product libraries, which used the integrated SBD and transistors (BJT, CMOS, and Flash versions) as basic components. The macros are composed of diodes that are selectively attached to the diffusion bed of the transistors, configuring them to form (i) generic logic gates, (ii) functional blocks of microprocessors and microcontrollers such as but not limited to data paths, multipliers, muliplier-accumaltors, (ii) memory cells and control circuits of various types (SRAM's with single or multiple read/write port(s), binary and ternary CAM's), (iii) multiplexers, crossbar switches, switch matrices in network processors, graphics processors and other processors to implement a variety of communication protocols and algorithms of data processing engines for (iv) Analytics, (v) block-chain and encryption-based security engines (vi) Artificial Neural Networks with specific circuits to emulate or to implement a self-learning data processor similar to or derived from the neurons and synapses of human or animal brains, (vii) analog circuits and functional blocks from simple to the complicated including but not limited to power conversion, control and management either based on charge pumps or inductors, sensor signal amplifiers and conditioners, interface drivers, wireline data transceivers, oscillators and clock synthesizers with phase and/or delay locked loops, temperature monitors and controllers; all the above are built from discrete components to all grades of VLSI chips. Solar photovoltaic electricity conversion, bio-lab-on-a-chip, hyperspectral imaging (capture/sensing and processing), wireless communication with various transceiver and/or transponder circuits for ranges of frequency that extend beyond a few 100 MHz, up to multi-THz, ambient energy harvesting either mechanical vibrations or antenna-based electromagnetic are newly extended or nacent fields of the SCMOS IC applications.
1. An electronic system, comprising:
a substrate;
a first transistor device formed on the substrate, wherein the first transistor device has a diffusion bed; and
a first Schottky barrier diode (SBD) formed on the substrate, wherein the first SBD is attached to the diffusion bed of the first transistor device and includes a metal barrier contact to the diffusion bed of the first transistor device, wherein the substrate includes a sub-implant layer that is buried underneath the first SBD, and the first transistor device does not lie on top of the sub-implant layer.
2. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first SBD includes a p-type SBD.
3. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first SBD includes an n-type SBD.
4. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor device includes one of metal oxide field effect transistor device (MOSFET), a bipolar junction transistor device (BJT) and a multi-level cell FLASH transistor.
5. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor device is based on at least one of Silicon (Si), Silicon-Germanium (SiGe), Gallium Arsenide (GaAs), Gallium Nitride (GaN), Indium Phosphide (InP), and other III-V Compound Semiconductor materials and combination thereof.
6. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first SBD has a substantially low threshold voltage that is no greater than 0.5V.
7. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the metal barrier contact of the first SBD is made of Co/Ti.
8. The electronic system of claim 1 , further comprising a second SBD formed on the substrate, wherein the second SBD is attached to a diffusion bed of a second transistor device that is distinct from the first transistor device.
9. The electronic system of claim 8 , wherein the first and second SBDs are complementary to each other.
10. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first SBD and the first transistor device are disposed in a semiconductor well on the substrate.
11. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first SBD and the first transistor device are isolated from other semiconductor devices on the substrate via an isolation trench.
12. The electronic system of claim 11 , wherein the isolation trench is filled with oxide.
13. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the SBD includes a low barrier SBD.
14. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first SBD includes a cathode, an anode, and a blockout region disposed on top of one of the cathode and the anode.
15. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the diffusion bed of the first transistor device includes a drain of the first transistor.
16. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor device and the first SBD are configured to implement at least one of a memory, a solar concentrator, a pass transistor device logic, an amplifier, a Hi-Z block, a Schmitt trigger, an RFID circuit, a high-frequency timing block, and a memory peripheral.
17. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor device occupies a first area of the substrate, and the first SBD occupies a second area of the substrate that is substantially smaller than the first area of the substrate.
18. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the first transistor device includes a gate surrounded by a layer of tunnel oxide.
19. The electronic system of claim 18 , wherein the thickness of the layer of tunnel oxide is substantially equal to or less than 10 nm.
20. The electronic system of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is made of (i) one of silicon single crystal, amorphous silicon, glass, GaAs, or other semiconductor compound material, and (ii) a metal panel.