New Ultra-Thin Crystal Thin-Film Semiconductor Developed by Scientists

TapTechNews July 20th news, scientists from institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US and the University of Ottawa in Canada have developed a new type of ultra-thin crystal thin-film semiconductor using a crystal material called ternary tetradymite.

It is introduced that the thickness of this film is only 100 nanometers, and the migration speed of electrons in it is about 7 times that of traditional semiconductors, setting a new record. This achievement will help scientists develop new and efficient electronic devices. The relevant paper has been published in the journal Materials Physics Today (TapTechNews attaches DOI: 10.1016/j.mtphys.2024.101486).

It is introduced that this film is mainly a material built by precisely controlling the molecular beam and atom by atom through the molecular beam epitaxy technology. This process can create materials with almost no defects, thereby achieving a higher electron mobility (that is, the ease with which electrons move through the material under the action of an electric field).

In simple terms, when scientists applied an electric current to the film, they recorded that electrons moved at a speed of 10000 cm²/V-s. In contrast, the moving speed of electrons in silicon semiconductor is about 1400 cm²/V-s, and it is even slower in traditional copper wires.

This extremely high electron mobility means better conductivity. This in turn paves the way for more efficient and more powerful electronic devices that generate less heat and waste less energy.

The researchers compared the characteristics of this film to a highway without traffic jams, and they said that this material is crucial for more efficient and more power-saving electronic devices and can do more work with less power.

Scientists said that potential applications include wearable thermoelectric devices that convert waste heat into electrical energy, and spintronic devices that process information using electron spin instead of charge.

Scientists measured the electron mobility in the material by placing the film in an extremely cold magnetic field environment, and then measured the quantum oscillation by energizing the film. Of course, even a tiny defect in this material will affect the electron mobility, so scientists hope to achieve better results by improving the preparation process of the film.

Jagadeesh Moodera, a physicist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said: This shows that as long as these complex systems can be properly controlled, we can make great progress. We are moving in the right direction, and we will further study and continuously improve this material, hoping to make it thinner and used in future spintronics and wearable thermoelectric devices.