tunnel injection

{{Needs additional citations|date=October 2024}}

Tunnel injection is a field electron emission effect; specifically a quantum process called Fowler–Nordheim tunneling, whereby charge carriers are injected to an electric conductor through a thin layer of an electric insulator.{{Cite journal |last=Lorke |first=Michael |last2=Khanonkin |first2=Igor |last3=Michael |first3=Stephan |last4=Reithmaier |first4=Johann Peter |last5=Eisenstein |first5=Gadi |last6=Jahnke |first6=Frank |date=2022-09-05 |title=Carrier dynamics in quantum-dot tunnel-injection structures: microscopic theory and experiment |url=https://arxiv.org/abs/2205.15715 |journal=Applied Physics Letters |volume=121 |issue=10 |pages=103503 |doi=10.1063/5.0101613 |issn=0003-6951|arxiv=2205.15715 }}

It is used to program NAND flash memory. The process used for erasing is called tunnel release. This injection is achieved by creating a large voltage difference between the gate and the body of the MOSFET. When V_GB >> 0, electrons are injected into the floating gate. When V_GB << 0, electrons are forced out of the floating gate.

An alternative to tunnel injection is the spin injection.