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Quantum Sizing of Power Electronics: A Trend Towards Miniaturiation of Power Electronic Systems and Equipments

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Arindam Chakraborty
Affiliation:
Grainger Power Electronics and Motor Drives LaboratoryElectric Power and Power Electronics Center Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616-3793, USA Phone: +1 (312) 567-8940; Fax: +1 (312) 567-8976; EML: email@iit.eduURL: http://www.ece.iit.edu/∼madi
Ali Emadi
Affiliation:
Grainger Power Electronics and Motor Drives LaboratoryElectric Power and Power Electronics Center Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL 60616-3793, USA Phone: +1 (312) 567-8940; Fax: +1 (312) 567-8976; EML: email@iit.eduURL: http://www.ece.iit.edu/∼madi
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Abstract

Human ability to manipulate atoms and molecules on quantum basis has generated a new dimension of physical structures for molecular scale transistors and devices. We will discuss about nanodimensional single electron transistor. This molecular device works as a switching element by controlling the electron tunneling for amplifying the current. The basic structure consists of two tunnel junctions isolated by a common insulator of nanodimensional length.

One broader aspect of nano power electronics is that, it has got significant role in nanodimensional device regime as tunneling diodes. They have got inherently fast tunneling rate, which makes them highly suitable for high-speed operation. A special type of tunneling diode is an interband tunneling diode (ITD), which is actually, a p-n diode. The V-I characteristics of such diodes are dependent upon the tunneling barrier and tunneling process itself. Another special feature of these diodes is their negative-differential-resistance characteristics. This special characteristic of such diodes makes them very useful in switching digital circuits.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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