Novel single-device “XOR” AND “AND” gates for high speed, very low power LSI mechanical processors

We discuss novel functional MEMS/NEMS structures that enable implementation of universal logic gates such as XOR, AND, NAND, NOT, etc. in a single device instead of using 6-14 individual switches used in CMOS. By reducing the number of devices, our approach improves yield, reproducibility and speed and simplifies implementation of circuits such as adders and multiplexers. We show the feasibility of this novel approach through fabrication and testing of XOR, AND and related circuits such as a 2 bit full adder and multiplexer. The XOR gates with ~1.5V turn-on voltage at 50 MHz with >;10⁹ cycles of reliable operations are reported. We also discuss the operation of XOR without deterioration at high temperature and in 90 kW ionizing radiation for 120 minutes.