The digital revolution is taking hold of ever broader segments of society, but without modern semiconductors in sufficient quantities it could quickly come to a standstill. In order to develop ever faster and better chips for this purpose, which in their hunger for electricity do not immediately destroy the urgently needed energy revolution, new materials beyond classic silicon are essential.
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The digital revolution is taking hold of ever broader segments of society, but without modern semiconductors in sufficient quantities it could quickly come to a standstill. In order to develop ever faster and better chips for this purpose, which in their hunger for electricity do not immediately destroy the urgently needed energy revolution, new materials beyond classic silicon are essential.
They block leakage currents, i.e. unwanted power losses, ensure energy-efficient computing power for mobile use, among other things, and pave the way for green energy from wind and solar power plants to enter the grids.
"Only about 25 years ago, the number of substances that were important for microelectronics was very manageable," says nanoelectronics professor Thomas Mikolajick of TU Dresden, outlining this trend. "Since then, that number has really exploded, and semiconductor technology has expanded to include a large part of the periodic table." Among them are some elements and compounds on which the industry has particularly high hopes for the near future – here’s a little "tour d’horizon":
They are seen as a beacon of hope for the three-dimensional logic and memory circuits of the next generation but one. As transparent interconnect materials, they have already been in use for years in solar cell and display manufacturing, for example. However, these metal oxides are also suitable for the 3D CMOS concept. According to expert estimates, this will become the focus of the semiconductor industry in about five to ten years, when it is about to move into the sub-nanometer world. Then ITO and IGZO could provide the key to three-dimensional stacked transistor levels. 3D architectures already exist for individual transistors such as the FinFET or for memory in USB sticks, but not for complex logic circuits. The technologies are being researched primarily at Imec in Belgium, but also at the TU Dresden.
They should enable cheaper and more powerful memory cells.
They are suitable for memristors. This is electronics that "remembers" previous states, i.e. "collects experience" to a certain extent. Panasonic and TSMC already produce such memories.
… in its orthorombic version (crystal with three perpendicular axes) is a ferroelectric material and a hopeful candidate for fast memories and AI hardware. The breakthrough was achieved primarily in Dresden: once at Qimonda and then at the TU’s NaMLab, Fraunhofer CNT and the "NaMLab" spin-off "FMC".
Both are semiconductors with a high band gap between the outermost electron bands. As a result, they can withstand higher voltages and stronger currents than ordinary silicon components and offer less resistance to current. In Saxony, the X-FAB plant in Dresden, among others, produces gallium nitride semiconductors.
Gallium arsenide has been used for high-frequency electronics for years. Its use as a material for power electronics is still quite new. It is conceivable that it could be used to cover a niche between silicon in the lower power spectrum and silicon carbide or gallium nitride on the other side. Saxony is considered an important location for gallium arsenide semiconductor technology. The pioneers here include Freiberg Compound Materials (FCM) and "3-5 Power Electronics" from Dresden.
Gallium oxide could enable the next generation of power electronics after silicon carbide and gallium nitride. However, this technology is still in the research phase.
High-tech companies and research institutions in Saxony are working on several of these promising material developments. One particular focus is on power electronics, among other things. Lighthouses in this segment include, for example, a gallium nitride research center in Freiberg and Freiberger Compound Materials (FMC), as well as TU Dresden’s NaMLab, Infineon’s power electronics production, X-FAB’s gallium nitride line in Dresden and others.
This article was first published as part of our NEXT magazine "In the spotlight: Microelectronics". To the complete edition of the magazine Related articles: Computing trends: quantum computers, neuromorphic computers and tap-proof telephony Germany‘s microelectronics landscape – Europe‘s semiconductor heart beats here European Chips Act: Good, but good enough?
