A novel Si bistable diode

We have previously reported bistable I-V characteristics in a delta-doped SiGe/Si diode and its application to a SRAM cell. In this paper, a novel full Si bistable diode is studied. The full Si feature of the device makes it more compatible with mainstream Si technology. The I-V bistability is achieved by band engineering with two double delta-doped tunnel junctions. Since the bistability is based on quantum tunneling, the device can be conveniently built in a vertical stack leading to further reduction of device area. The new bistable diode operates with several positive feedback mechanisms, which lead to fast turn-on and turn-off speeds.