Digital-analog and analog-digital converters based on single-electron and MOS transistors

Abstract

Two kinds of novel converter circuits containing single-electron transistors and MOS transistors are proposed. The proposed Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) circuit and Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) circuit are both improved in the base of the pure SET and SET/MOS hybrid circuits that were designed by other research groups, so they possess the merits of both SET and MOS circuits. Through the analysis for the device parameters and operating temperature, the proper circuit parameters are selected. The accuracies of the 4-bit DAC circuit and 3-bit ADC circuit are validated by SPICE. Compared with the pure SET circuits, not only the driving capability, but also the swing of output signal has been enhanced in the novel converter. Compared with the other SET/MOS hybrid circuit, the novel converter has compact circuit structure, higher integration density and lower power depletion.