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Tribotronic triggers and sequential logic circuits

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Abstract

In this paper, a floating-gate tribotronic transistor (FGTT) based on a mobile triboelectric layer and a traditional silicon-based field-effect transistor (FET) is proposed. In the FGTT, the triboelectric charges in the layer created by contact electrification can be used to modulate charge carrier transport in the transistor. Based on the FGTTs and FETs, a tribotronic negated AND (NAND) gate that achieves mechanical-electrical coupled inputs, logic operations, and electrical level outputs is fabricated. By further integrating tribotronic NAND gates with traditional digital circuits, several basic units such as the tribotronic S-R trigger, D trigger, and T trigger have been demonstrated. Additionally, tribotronic sequential logic circuits such as registers and counters have also been integrated to enable external contact triggered storage and computation. In contrast to the conventional sequential logic units controlled by electrical signals, contact-triggered tribotronic sequential logic circuits are able to realize direct interaction and integration with the external environment. This development can lead to their potential application in micro/nano-sensors, electromechanical storage, interactive control, and intelligent instrumentation.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the support of National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 51475099 and 51432005), Beijing Natural Science Foundation (No. 4163077), Beijing Nova Program (No. Z171100001117054), the Youth Innovation Promotion Association, CAS (No. 2014033), the “thousands talents” program for the pioneer researcher and his innovation team, China, and National Key Research and Development Program of China (No.2016YFA0202704).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Li Min Zhang, Zhi Wei Yang, Yao Kun Pang, Tao Zhou, Chi Zhang & Zhong Lin Wang

  2. National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100083, China

    Li Min Zhang, Zhi Wei Yang, Yao Kun Pang, Tao Zhou, Chi Zhang & Zhong Lin Wang

  3. School of Material Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0245, USA

    Zhong Lin Wang

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  1. Li Min Zhang
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  2. Zhi Wei Yang
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  3. Yao Kun Pang
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  4. Tao Zhou
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  5. Chi Zhang
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  6. Zhong Lin Wang
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Correspondence to Chi Zhang or Zhong Lin Wang.

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Tribotronic triggers and sequential logic circuits

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Zhang, L.M., Yang, Z.W., Pang, Y.K. et al. Tribotronic triggers and sequential logic circuits. Nano Res. 10, 3534–3542 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1564-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-017-1564-9

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