The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jun. 25, 2002

Filed:

Feb. 09, 2001
Applicant:
Inventors:

Munir H. Nayfeh, Urbana, IL (US);

Joel Therrien, Urbana, IL (US);

Adam D. Smith, Urbana, IL (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/906 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 2/906 ;
Abstract

An electronic fast switch for operation at room temperature utilizing uniform silicon nanoparticles (˜1 nm with about 1 part per thousand exceeding 1 nm) between two conducting electrodes. The silicon nanoparticles, when on an n-type silicon substrate exhibit, at zero bias, a large differential conductance, approaching near full transparency. The conductance is observed after one of the electrode is first biased at a voltage in the range 3 to 5 eV (switching voltage), otherwise the device does not conduct (closed). A practical MOSFET switch of the invention includes the silicon nanoparticles in a body of the MOSFET, with the gate and substrate forming the two conducting electrodes. Electrodes may be realized by metal in other switches of the invention.


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