In this paper we describe a new semiconductor device concept. Basically, it consists of storing charge in potential wells created at the surface of a semiconductor and moving the charge (representing information) over the surface by moving the potential minima. We discuss schemes for creating, transferring, and detecting the presence or absence of the charge. In particular, we consider minority carrier charge storage at the SiSiO2 interface of a MOS capacitor. This charge may be transferred to a closely adjacent capacitor on the same substrate by appropriate manipulation of electrode potentials. Examples of possible applications are as a shift register, as an imaging device, as a display device, and in performing logic.

Recent advances in materials and processing have oscillators, for example, have become important as resulted in a new class of information-handling struc-sources of power for millimeter waves. These devices had ture-the charge-coupled device. This three-layer their genesis in work performed by W. Shockley and W. structure creates and stores minority carriers, or their T. Read a decade earlier. The injection laser, first demonabsence, in potential wells near the surface of the 18 IEEE spectrum JULY 1971