MIT Scientists Develop Nanotransistors for Powerful Efficient Electronics of the Future
Silicon transistors, which are used to amplify and switch signals, are an essential component of most electronic devices, from smartphones to cars. But below a certain voltage level, silicon semiconductors are unable to evolve. This natural limit, which prevents computers from becoming more efficient, is called the “tyranny of Boltzmann.” In an attempt to break free from its grip, US physicists have developed a different type of 3D transistor made from ultra-thin semiconductor materials.
In an effort to overcome this fundamental limitation of silicon, researchers at MIT have developed a new type of 3-D transistor using a unique set of ultra-thin semiconductor materials. These devices, equipped with vertical nanowires just a few nanometers wide, could deliver performance comparable to today’s silicon transistors while operating efficiently at much lower voltage levels. The technology harnesses the properties of quantum mechanics, and the extremely small size of the transistors could allow more of them to be placed on a computer chip, leading to faster, more powerful, and more energy-efficient electronics. “This technology has the potential to replace silicon, so it can be used for all the functions that silicon currently does, but with much greater energy efficiency,” says Yanjie Shao, a researcher at MIT and the paper’s lead author.
The team is now working to improve manufacturing methods to more evenly distribute transistors across the chip. For a device this size, even a 1-nanometer difference can change the behavior of electrons and affect how the device operates.
