| Researchers Propose Radical Change in Semiconductor Production |
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| By [Author Name] |
Researchers from IBM have presented new data that could potentially revolutionize the production of semiconductors. The breakthrough was announced at the IEEE International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM) conference in 2023, where IBM showcased a novel approach involving a change in silicon crystal orientation to enhance transistor performance.
Traditional transistor fabrication relies on using silicon with a crystal orientation of 001. However, the IBM researchers propose a shift to the “110” orientation, which corresponds to a vertical silicon cube cut. This alteration enables faster movement of “holes” (positively charged electronic vacancies) necessary for the operation of CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) circuits, compared to the traditional 001 orientation.
The researchers conducted experiments on nanolist transistors using silicon plates of both orientations. The results revealed that the 110 orientation outperformed its 001 counterpart, although the extent of improvement varied depending on the thickness of silicon nanolists. Although some negative effects were observed in NFET (N-type Field-Effect Transistors) with silicon 110, the researchers are confident that the enhanced performance of PFET (P-type Field-Effect Transistors) compensates for this.
The transition to using silicon with a 110 orientation is not expected to happen rapidly and will require further development. Nito Choriguchi, the Director of the CMOS Technology Program at IMEC, highlights this point. IBM plans to minimize any negative effects of the new orientation on electron conductivity and is exploring the integration of silicon 110 in 3D-glass nanolist transistors known as Complementary FET (CFET). These next-generation devices, expected to emerge in the next decade, involve a stacked configuration of NFET and PFET, enabling a reduction in the size of logical circuits.