The piezoelectric transformer field effect transistor

Abstract

In order to reduce the power consumption of modern electronics, the operating voltage needs to be significantly reduced. Unfortunately, conventional transistors fundamentally require around half a volt to switch. On the other hand, electrical wires only need millivolts to overcome noise and communicate information. This voltage mismatch results in a significant amount of power being wasted by charging the wires to a high voltage. To overcome this mismatch, either a new low voltage switch[1-5] or a voltage transformer is needed. In this paper we propose a new CMOS compatible piezoelectric voltage transformer that can be placed on the gate of each transistor to reduce the voltage needed for switching. This allows for a low voltage to be used to charge the wires while increasing the voltage at the transistor where it's needed. This results in the Piezoelectric Transformer Field Effect Transistor, or PT-FET.