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Ballistic deflection transistors (BDTs) are electronic devices, developed since 2006, for high-speed integrated circuits, which is a set of circuits bounded on semiconductor material. They use electromagnetic forces instead of a logic gate, a device used to perform solely on specified inputs, to switch the forces of electrons. The unique design of this transistor includes individual electrons bouncing from wedge-shaped obstacles called deflectors. Initially accelerated by electric field, electrons are then guided on their respective paths by electromagnetic deflection. Electrons are therefore able to travel without being scattered by atoms or defects, thus resulting in improved speed and reduced power consumption.
Purpose
A ballistic deflection transistor would be significant in acting as both a linear amplifier and a switch for current flow on electronic devices, which could be used to maintain digital logic and memory. A transistor switching speed is greatly affected by how fast charge carriers (typically, electrons) can cross from one region to the next. For this reason, researchers want to use ballistic conduction to improve the charge-carrier traveling time.
Alternative approaches to ballistic conduction
The goal of many laboratories around the world is creating switches and amplifiers that can operate faster than current technology. Currently, the silicon MOS field-effect transistor (MOSFET) is the main and leading circuit. However, researchers predict that finding the ideal semiconductor will decrease the dimensions of the transistor, even below the sizes observed in the current generation of the silicon transistors, resulting in many undesirable effects lowering the performance of the MOS transistors.