A bistable MOSFET-type metal-tunnel insulator-semiconductor switch

A new lateral bistable switching structure including an ultra-thin tunnel oxide is presented. The device has an S-type negative resistance characteristic similar to that of a thyristor. Switching between the two stable states is controlled by a MOS-type gate. The device exhibits linear gate control of the switching voltage, a property not shown by other thin-oxide switching structures. The gate can also be used to turn the device off because of variation in the holding current with gate bias.