Skip to main content

High performance low-power transistor

Advancements in Transistor Technology

Transistor Technology

Challenges and Innovations

Advancements in transistor technology are essential as shrinking sizes present challenges to integrated circuits. Innovating with new operating principles is key to improving circuit performance.

Hot Carrier Transistors

Transistors leveraging excess carrier kinetic energy, known as hot carrier transistors, could enhance speed and functionality, though traditional generation methods have constrained their performance.

Breakthrough in Hot Carrier Generation

Introduction of SEHC

A research team, spearheaded by Prof. Liu Chi, Prof. Sun Dongming, and Prof. Cheng Huiming at the chinese Academy of Sciences' institute of Metal Research (IMR), has introduced a groundbreaking hot carrier generation mechanism known as stimulated emission of heated carriers (SEHC).

Development of HOET

The researchers have developed a novel hot-emitter transistor (HOET) that achieves an exceptionally low sub-threshold swing below 1 mV/dec and a peak-to-valley current ratio surpassing 100. This advancement presents a prototype for low-power, multifunctionl devices suited for the post-Moore's Law era.

Publication

The study was released in Nature.

Role of Low-Dimensional Materials

Graphene and Other Materials

Owing to their atomic-scale thickness and superior electrical and optical properties, low-dimensional materials such as graphene can effortlessly combine with other materials to form heterostructures. These configurations enable a diverse range of energy band combinations, paving the way for innovative hot carrier transistors.

Development of Innovative HOET

Researchers from IMR developed an innovative hot-emitter transistor by pairing graphene with germanium, introducing a new hot carrier generation process. The transistor is built with two graphene/germanium Schottky junctions in tandem.

hot-emitter transistor

Performance and Potential

As the device runs, germanium infuses high-energy carriers into the graphene base, which then diffuse to the emitter, inducing a notable current increase due to the preheated carriers. The system achieves a sub-threshold swing under 1 mV/dec, surpassing the conventional Boltzmann limit of 60 mV/dec.

The transistor also exhibits a peak-to-valley current ratio surpassing 100 at ambient temperatures, highlighting its capability for multi-valued logic computations.

Conclusion

According to Liu, this work expands the frontier of transistor research by adding a novel hot carrier transistor, which shows substantial promise for application in future high-performance and low-power multifunctional devices.

Source


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NASA chile scientists comet 3i atlas nickel mystery

NASA and Chilean Scientists Study 3I/ATLAS, A Comet That Breaks the Rules Interstellar visitors are rare guests in our Solar System , but when they appear they often rewrite the rules of astronomy. Such is the case with 3I/ATLAS , a fast-moving object that has left scientists puzzled with its bizarre behaviour. Recent findings from NASA and Chilean researchers reveal that this comet-like body is expelling an unusual plume of nickel — without the iron that typically accompanies it. The discovery challenges conventional wisdom about how comets form and evolve, sparking both excitement and controversy across the scientific community. A Cosmic Outsider: What Is 3I/ATLAS? The object 3I/ATLAS —the third known interstellar traveler after "Oumuamua (2017) and 2I/Borisov (2019) —was first detected in July 2025 by the ATLAS telescope network , which scans he skies for potentially hazardous objects. Earlier images from Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory had unknowingly captured it, but ...

Quantum neural algorithms for creating illusions

Quantum Neural Networks and Optical Illusions: A New Era for AI? Introduction At first glance, optical illusions, quantum mechanics, and neural networks may appear unrelated. However, my recent research in APL Machine Learning Leverages "quantum tunneling" to create a neural network that perceives optical illusions similarly to humans. Neural Network Performance The neural network I developed successfully replicated human perception of the Necker cube and Rubin's vase illusions, surpassing the performance of several larger, conventional neural networks in computer vision tasks. This study may offer new perspectives on the potential for AI systems to approximate human cognitive processes. Why Focus on Optical Illusions? Understanding Visual Perception O ptical illusions mani pulate our visual  perce ption,  presenting scenarios that may or may not align with reality. Investigating these illusions  provides valuable understanding of brain function and dysfunction, inc...

fractal universe cosmic structure mandelbrot

Is the Universe a Fractal? Unraveling the Patterns of Nature The Cosmic Debate: Is the Universe a Fractal? For decades, cosmologists have debated whether the universe's large-scale structure exhibits fractal characteristics — appearing identical across scales. The answer is nuanced: not entirely, but in certain res pects, yes. It's a com plex matter. The Vast Universe and Its Hierarchical Structure Our universe is incredibly vast, com prising a p proximately 2 trillion galaxies. These galaxies are not distributed randomly but are organized into hierarchical structures. Small grou ps ty pically consist of u p to a dozen galaxies. Larger clusters contain thousands, while immense su perclusters extend for millions of light-years, forming intricate cosmic  patterns. Is this where the story comes to an end? Benoit Mandelbrot and the Introduction of Fractals During the mid-20th century, Benoit Mandelbrot introduced fractals to a wider audience . While he did not invent the conce pt —...