Digital signal propagation delay in a nano-circuit containing reactive and resistive elements

Abstract

The transient switching delay in a micro/nano-scale circuit containing resistive and reactive elements are sternly affected by the surge in the resistance arising from sub-linear current-voltage (I-V) characteristics limited by the velocity and current saturation. The saturation arises due to the realignment of randomly oriented velocity vectors to the unidirectional streamlined ones in a high electric field when voltage applied across a resistor exceeds its decreasing critical value with reduced channel length. The frequency response f = 1/2πτt is affected by a transit time delay τt is lower than that predicted from the application of Ohm's law. The resistance surge dramatically boosts the RC time constant and switching delay and attenuates the L/R time constant and switching delay.