For a transistor, semiconductor properties are important. Modern transistors are based primarily on silicon. Scientists are constantly looking for a replacement for this material. Even carbon is considered an alternative to silicon. But it turns out that a non-semiconductor metal can also play this role. How is this possible?
In a modern computer chip, the number of transistors is sometimes in the billions. The transistors currently being manufactured are based on semiconductor materials, usually silicon.
The demand for computer chips for laptops, tablets and smartphones continues to grow, which means that new production technologies for these essential components are being considered, which can make them more flexible and energy efficient and, of course, are inexpensive.
The group led by Dr. Christian Klinke of the University of Hamburg achieved success in the production of transistors, which is based on a completely different principle than that now used in industry. Within the framework of the new development, metal nanoparticles are used, which are so small that they no longer exhibit the properties of a metal under the influence of electric current, but manifest themselves as an energy gap caused by the Coulomb repulsion of electrons from each other.
Under the influence of the control voltage, an energy shift of this gap occurs, and the current can thus be switched on and off. Unlike previous attempts to create such a technical solution, nanoparticles are not an individual coating structure, the application of which is a very complex manufacturing process, and the properties of such components are unreliable. Instead, the nanoparticles are applied as a thin film with a height of just one layer of nanoparticles. Using this method, you can make the electrical characteristics of devices customizable and almost identical.
These Coulomb transistors have three main advantages that make them interesting for later commercial applications. First of all, the synthesis of metal nanoparticles within the framework of colloid chemistry is a very well managed and scalable process. The result is very small nanocrystals that can be stored in solutions and can be easily used.
Langmuir-Blodgett technology allows you to create high-quality single-layer films and can also be applied on an industrial scale. Thus, the new development allows the use of standard lithographic methods for constructing components and integrating them into electrical circuits, which allow devices to be made inexpensive, flexible and accessible for manufacturing within the industry.
Transistors, which are obtained as a result of their production by the method under consideration, in more than 90% of cases show the ability to switch and operate at temperatures up to room temperature. Inexpensive transistors and computer chips that can be produced by this method are characterized by reduced power consumption. In the future, it is likely that this technology will be used in industry. The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Science Advances .
Of scientific interest within the framework of the study is the fact that metallic particles exhibit properties similar to those of a semiconductor. The reason for this is their small size. Of course, a lot of research work still needs to be done, but what has already been done shows that there is an alternative to the usual transistors, and it may be used in various devices in the future.
The development of a group of scientists can be used not only as transistors. Also of interest is the possibility of its use as chemical sensors, since the gaps between nanoparticles, which work as tunnel barriers, are highly sensitive to chemical coatings.
How promising, in your opinion, is the new method of producing transistors?
Based on sciencedaily.com
The article is based on materials .
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