Continue Moore's Law? U.S. researchers successfully integrate new functional materials into silicon chips

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Today, ITRS released a report predicting that chip Moore's Law may expire in 2021.

We know that the silicon chip manufacturing process is approaching the physical limit. "China Science and Technology News" analysis said that in order to meet the growth requirements of Moore's Law, either look for new materials instead of silicon - graphene, molybdenum disulfide or monatomic layer helium, or innovative methods to expand the capabilities of silicon chips - will be more in line with the requirements The new materials are efficiently integrated on silicon substrates. In contrast, completely replacing the existing technology route requires not only a large amount of capital investment, but also full competition and cooperation of the industry. It is difficult to bring about radically new forms of business by tapping the potential of deep-rooted technology, although the cost is much lower.

According to reports , North Carolina State University issued an announcement a few days ago that the researchers of the university have collaborated with the US Army Research Office to develop a new method called “film epitaxial method” that can integrate new functional materials such as multiferroic materials. To the computer chip. It is understood that the integration of new functional materials with silicon chips will help create lighter, smarter electronic devices and systems in the future, making many things that were previously considered impossible: data detection, acquisition, processing, etc. This task can be completed on a compact chip, and in addition, the problem that the sapphire substrates used in light emitting diodes (LEDs) cannot be compatible with computer devices will also be solved.

At present, some new functional materials, such as multiferroic materials with ferroelectric and ferromagnetic properties, topological insulators with conductive properties on the surface, and new ferroelectric materials, are available in sensors, nonvolatile memories, and microelectromechanical fields. Good application prospects. However, one of the difficulties that these materials currently face is that so far they cannot be integrated into silicon chips. At present, new research has helped break the limit.

The researchers said that the so-called "film epitaxial method" is that they designed a titanium nitride plate and a yttria-stabilized zirconia plate, which are compatible with silicon and are used to connect new functional materials and different electronic products. The underlying substrate (platform) is then used to develop a set of buffer films that integrate the functional material with the silicon chip. These films are bonded to one another through the crystal structure of the novel functional material and the other side is bonded to the underlying matrix. The researchers said that as the integrated functional materials change, the combination of membranes used will also change. For example, four types of titanium nitride, magnesium oxide, antimony oxide, and tantalum manganese oxide are used in the integration of multiferroic materials, but only magnesium oxide and nitriding are needed if topological insulators are to be integrated. Titanium is fine.

It is reported that relevant research results are published in the journal of Applied Physics Review.