MINIMUM ENERGY AND POWER DEMANDS BN ANALOG ICs AND THE IMPACT OF SELF-HEATING EFFECTS IN TINY TRANSISTORS

摘要

You need a certain minimum energy to perform any practical operation. Raising a 12-oz can of beer from belly to lips consumes about 1J. The energy you need to execute a one-time function in electron-based sys-terns (more familiarly stated as the power you need to repeat it - or sustain it continuously) is generally not so clear-cut. It comes down to a matter of where you stand along history's slender arrow, and the state of the art in the many relevant and intertwining technologies of an era. In Edison's time, the minimum necessary temperature-rise of frail loops of tungsten wire in glass bottles dictated the "house current" power drain for the drawing-room chandelier. Because most of their output power fell into the infrared region, these glowing wires mainly warmed the ladies' wigs and gentlemen's bald pates. Today, we have a long list of devices for lighting homes and workplaces; they are rugged, durable, and efficient. Yet, 100 years later, the use of "hotwires" still tops the list.