New Scientific Achievement: Development of 3D Nano Transistors That Outperform Current Transistors by 20 Times
Silicon transistors are the backbone of modern electronics , the core component in most electronic devices, from smartphones to supercomputers . However, these transistors face a fundamental challenge that limits their ability to operate efficiently.
This challenge is known as Boltzmann tyranny , a physical limit that prevents silicon transistors from operating efficiently at low voltages. This means that these transistors consume a lot of power to operate the devices, which limits battery life and generates excess heat. With the increasing demand for high-performance electronic devices, such as those used in artificial intelligence , overcoming this challenge has become an urgent necessity.
An innovative solution from MIT:
In a step toward overcoming these limitations, researchers at MIT have developed a new type of 3D transistor, which features a unique combination of ultra-thin semiconductor materials that are alternatives to silicon, allowing it to operate efficiently at much lower voltages than conventional silicon transistors.
But how do these new transistors work, what are their advantages, and what is the importance of this innovation in the field of electronics and artificial intelligence?
How do these new transistors work?
Silicon transistors in electronic devices act as switches. When we apply an electrical voltage to them, they allow electrons to pass through them, and they change from an (off) state to an (on) state. Thus, transistors are able to represent digital signals (zero and one), which form the basis of all arithmetic operations in electronic devices.
But in order to switch a transistor from the off state to the on state, a voltage must be applied sufficient to cross the energy barrier separating the two transistor states. This process, known as the switching slope, determines the speed and efficiency of the transistor. The steeper the slope, the lower the voltage required to turn the transistor on and the more energy efficient it is.
However, these transistors face challenges that prevent them from operating at a certain voltage at room temperature, which leads to high power consumption, and as a result, modern silicon-based devices cannot achieve the required performance with the lowest power consumption.
To overcome these limitations, researchers developed transistors with new semiconductor materials, gallium antimonide and indium arsenide, and exploited a unique phenomenon in the quantum world known as quantum tunneling, which allows electrons to penetrate energy barriers rather than directly bypassing them.
This means that the transistor can be turned on and off with much lower voltage than required in conventional silicon transistors, resulting in a significant improvement in transistor speed.
Using state-of-the-art technology at the MIT nanofacility, researchers developed 3D nanotransistors featuring vertical nanowire heterostructures measuring just 6 nanometers in diameter—the smallest 3D transistors ever developed—which allowed them to achieve a steep switching slope, meaning the transistor can quickly switch between on and off states with minimal power.
Experiments conducted by researchers on these transistors have shown that they achieve a performance that is 20 times better than conventional types.
“These new transistors are a game changer in electronics,” says Yanjie Shao , an MIT researcher and lead author of a paper on the new transistors. “They not only perform the functions of silicon, but they also outperform it in terms of energy efficiency, opening up new possibilities for applications that were not possible before.”
Professor Jesus del Alamo, a professor of engineering at MIT, describes this achievement as a scientific breakthrough, stressing that this new technology requires new physics to push the limits of current technologies.
Advantages of new transistors:
- Steep switching slopes: Quantum tunneling transistors have steep switching slopes, meaning they are able to quickly switch between on and off states with minimal power.
- High energy efficiency: Because they require less voltage to operate, quantum tunneling transistors are more energy efficient than their silicon counterparts.
- Improved performance: Quantum tunneling transistors are expected to lead to the development of faster, smaller, and more power-efficient electronic devices.
What is the importance of this innovation?
This discovery represents a quantum leap in the field of electronics, as it opens the door to the development of faster, smaller and more energy-efficient electronic devices. This innovation could have broad applications in many fields, including:
- Hardware development: This innovation helps develop more powerful and energy-efficient mobile devices, reducing the need for complex cooling systems and extending battery life in devices, especially those powered by artificial intelligence.
- Artificial Intelligence: Quantum tunneling transistors allow complex calculations to be performed much faster, accelerating deep learning and training AI models.
- Internet of Things: These transistors can be integrated into small, wearable Internet of Things devices , increasing their functionality and reducing their cost.
Next steps:
Researchers are currently facing the challenge of achieving perfect uniformity in the performance of nanotransistors across the entire chip, because even slight differences in dimensions can significantly affect the behavior of the device. They are therefore seeking to develop more precise manufacturing techniques to increase the uniformity of transistors on a single chip, as well as exploring new designs for nanostructures, such as finned structures and vertical nanotransistors, to achieve the best possible performance and highest reliability.