LOGIC CIRCUIT USING RESONANT-TUNNELING TRANSISTOR

摘要

ABSTRACT, OF THE DISCLOSUREA logic circuit including: a resonant-tunnelingtransistor including a superlattice containing at leastone quantum well layer, and a constant current sourceoperatively connected between a base and an emitter ofthe transistor and supplying a constant current to saidbase. The transistor has a differential negative-resistance characteristic with at least one resonantpoint in a relationship between a current flowing in thebase and a voltage between the base and emitter, andhaving at least two stable base current values at bothsides of the resonant point on the characteristicdefined by the changeable base.emitter voltage. Bysupplying the base.emitter voltage having an amplitudeof at least two amplitudes corresponding to the stablebase current values, the transistor holds data corres-ponding to the base.emitter voltage. The above latchcircuit may be applied to a memory cell and a frequencydivider. The resonant-tunneling transistor may be aresonant-tunneling hot electron transistor (RHET) or aresonant-tunneling bipolar transistor (RBT).