Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a new type of 3D transistor that can work at significantly lower electrical voltage than traditional silicon solutions.
The technology is based on the use of ultra-thin semiconductor materials and may in the future become the basis for the production of more powerful and economical electronics – from smartphones to cars.
Silicon transistors used to amplify and switch signals are a critical component of most electronic devices used in both home and industrial applications.
However, the development of silicon semiconductor technology is limited by the laws of physics, which do not allow transistors to work under a certain voltage, the scientists explain.
This limitation, known as the “Boltzmann tyranny”, makes it difficult to improve the energy efficiency of computers and other electronic devices, especially as artificial intelligence technologies develop rapidly and require large calculations.
In an effort to overcome this fundamental limitation of silicon, MIT researchers have developed a new type of 3D transistor using a unique array of ultrathin semiconductor materials.
These devices, equipped with vertical nanowires just a few nanometers wide, can provide performance comparable to modern silicon transistors while operating efficiently at much lower voltage levels.
The technology uses the properties of quantum mechanics, and the extremely small size of transistors will allow them to be placed on a computer chip in larger quantities, which in turn will lead to the creation of fast, powerful and energy-efficient electronics.
p>
"This technology has the potential to replace silicon, so it can be used for all the functions that silicon currently has, but with much greater energy efficiency,” said Yanzhi Shao, an MIT researcher and lead author of the project.
According to another author of this development, Professor Jesus del Alamo, it is impossible to go beyond a certain level using traditional physics, but Yangzhi Shao's work shows that it is quite possible to achieve more.
But this requires the use of different physics. "Of course, there are still many challenges to overcome to make this approach commercially viable in the future, but conceptually this is a really major breakthrough," he adds.