This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of nanolayer transistors composed of a new channel material for high temperature and low noise applications. The new nanolayer transistors are expected to have significantly better performance in an operating temperature range of 300 to 400 degrees C, as well as low noise and high gain relative to currently available transistors. Currently, electronics cannot operate at 300 degree C or higher, temperatures encountered in oil drilling, aerospace, automotive, and other hot noisy environments. This project will use standard semiconductor processing equipment to fabricate a device structure that consists of nanolayers of material grown controllably by atomic layer deposition. Device feasibility will be shown through current modulation with applied gate voltage. Attempts will also be made to investigate transistor I-V characteristics and their temperature dependence on probed devices. A successful device demonstration may be an impetus to additional studies on the effects of an electric field in these ultrathin materials, including better theoretical treatments, materials characterization, novel materials, and impurity trap measurements.
The broader/commercial impact of this project, if successful, can be large to the economy and society. Availability of high temperature and lower noise electronics can lead to better monitoring and control of environments like oil drilling, jet and automobile engines, and high temperature industrial processes. Devices with better noise performance can reduce cell phone dropouts and extend cell range. The market for electronics for currently unserved sensor opportunities can grow to $100M as volume applications are addressed.
In this Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project, nanolayer transistors composed of a new channel material that has promise for high temperature and low noise applications was designed and demonstrated. Current commercial high temperature electronics cannot operate at 300 C or higher, temperatures encountered in oil drilling, aerospace, automotive, and industrial environments where sensors are desired. The first transistors, with a subnanometer thickness channel, promise large improvements in temperature range, specifically operation at 300 to 400 C, as well as low noise relative to other transistors. This class of channel materials has not been studied extensively as a nanomaterial. Nanolayers of material were grown by atomic layer deposition. A device structure was designed and fabricated with semiconductor processing equipment. Current modulation with the application of gate voltage proves device feasibility. Transistor current-voltage characteristics were demonstrated along with current, voltage, and power gain. The broader/commercial impact of this project can be large to the economy and society because high temperature electronics, currently $800 M without the proposed market segment, are important to sensors, which need electronics to monitor conditions in a wide variety of fields. For example, in the drilling environment, the ability to monitor many different sensors in real time can improve the drilling success rate, which is of great economic importance in a long-term energy crisis. Jet engines, auto engines, and industrial processes can be also be monitored. Devices with better noise performance can reduce cell phone dropouts and extend cell range. The technology can have large societal impact because it can enable sensors in hot noisy environments and impact $10 B markets such as the cell phone, oil drilling, aerospace and automotive industries. A number of interesting academic studies to explore the effects of an electric field on these nanolayer materials, better theoretical treatments, materials characterization, different materials, and impurity trap measurements are suggested by this work.
