Gate leakage induced gating in low-dimensional conductors

The change of the drain current on the gate-leakage current is studied in monolithic three-terminal junctions. Two in-plane barriers, defined by a row of etched holes in a two-dimensional electron gas, separate the leaky gate from the central drain and the drain from the source. A pronounced reduction of the drain current sets in when the gate starts to leak, pointing at a large parallel gate capacitor which forms due to the gate leakage current. We associate the gate leakage current induced gating to a virtual floating gate induced by the space charge injected from the gate.