Nanoscale metal transistor control of Fowler-Nordheim tunneling currents through 16 nm insulating channel

A nanoscale metal/insulator tunnel transistor (MITT) with a channel length of only 16 nm is fabricated by conventional photolithography, and its operation is experimentally studied. The MITT consists of two metal electrodes, an insulating channel inserted laterally between these two electrodes, and a third metal gate electrode formed upon the gate insulator above the insulating channel. The Fowler-Nordheim tunneling currents flowing from one metal electrode to the other through the insulating channel are controlled by applying a voltage to the gate electrode. It is found that the MITT can be operated similarly to the semiconductor transistor, and the feasibility of the nanoscale metal transistor is demonstrated. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)05609-1].