Simple load unit handling element

2001/03/29 Urresti, Igor - Elhuyar Zientziaren Komunikazioa

• Nanoteknologia
• Fisika

Japanese researchers have developed for the first time an element based on silicon for handling simple load units. Using two MOSFET (normally used in electronic circuits) manufactured in very close silicon, the new device creates, stores and moves simple "holes" (positive load conductors) to 25 Kelvin.

This work opens up ways to go beyond the integrated silicon circuits. In fact, this element that handles simple loads is more appropriate for large-scale integration than simple electron tunnel technology.

Akira Fujirawa and Yasuo Takahashi, from the Japanese research laboratory NTT, announced the development of this week's Nature journal. In addition, with this tool, current measurements can be made much more precise than those carried out so far.

The measuring instruments used so far used systems based on simple electrons, but they could only work with very low currents of about 10-12 amps, which it very difficult to measure.

It seems that a more adequate current measurement system can be the use of nanoscale CCDs. The element proposed by Fujirawa and Takahashi has two potential deposits. The "hole" can be trapped in a pit and transferred individually. Since each pit is attached to a miniature transistor, it can measure the current that circulates through silicon.