Most modern semiconductors are fabricated of or on silicon (Si), but as devices get smaller and denser, they dissipate more power and, as a result, are reaching their physical limits. Germanium (Ge)—once used in the first transistors of the 1950s—is now making a comeback as researchers find new ways to harness its superior properties while keeping the benefits of silicon's established manufacturing technologies.
In a new study published in Materials Today, a team led by Warwick's Dr. Maksym Myronov achieved a major step toward the next generation of electronics—creating a material using a nanometer-thin, compressively strained germanium epilayer on silicon, that allows electrical charge to move faster than ever before in a material compatible with modern chipmaking.
The breakthrough was achieved by carefully engineering a thin germanium layer on top of a silicon wafer. By applying just the right amount of strain to the germanium layer, they created an ultra-clean crystal structure that allows electrical charge to flow almost without resistance.
When evaluated, the material demonstrated a record hole mobility of 7.15 million cm² per volt-second, meaning charge can move through it far more easily than in silicon. This could enable future chips to run faster and dissipate less energy.
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