Researchers design switch-like proteins inspired by transistors

Phys.org  August 23, 2023 In nature, proteins that switch between two conformations in response to environmental stimuli structurally transduce biochemical information in a manner analogous to how transistors control information flow in computing devices. Designing proteins with two distinct but fully structured conformations is a challenge for protein design as it requires sculpting an energy landscape with two distinct minima. A team of researchers in the US (University of Washington, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of Milwaukee) described the design of “hinge” proteins that populate one designed state in the absence of ligand and a second designed state in the […]

Cutting edge transistors for semiconductors of the future

Science Daily July 3, 2023 Researchers in Sweden have demonstrated the integration of a ferroelectric gate stack on a heterostructure tunnel field-effect transistor (TFET) with subthermionic operation. Based on the ultrashort effective channel created by the band-to-band tunneling process, the localized potential variations induced by single domains and individual defects were sensed without physical gate-length scaling required for conventional transistors. They electrically measured abrupt threshold voltage shifts and quantified the appearance of new individual defects activated by the ferroelectric switching. According to the researchers their results show that ferroelectric films can be integrated on heterostructure devices and indicated that the […]

New germanium-tin transistor as alternative to silicon

Nanowerk  April 28, 2023 The continued downscaling of silicon CMOS technology presents challenges for achieving the required low power consumption. While high mobility channel materials hold promise for improved device performance at low power levels, a material system which enables both high mobility n-FETs and p-FETs, that is compatible with Si technology and can be readily integrated into existing fabrication lines is required. An international team of researchers (Germany, France, UK) has developed high performance, vertical nanowire gate-all-around FETs based on the GeSn-material system grown on Si. While the p-FET transconductance was increased to 850 µS/µm by exploiting the small band […]

Solid-state thermal transistor demonstrated

Nanowerk  February 21, 2023 Although several thermal transistors are demonstrated, the use of liquid electrolytes may limit the application from the viewpoint of reliability or liquid leakage. An international team of researchers (Japan, South Korea) constructed and demonstrated a solid-state thermal transistor that can electrochemically control the heat flow with an on-to-off ratio of the thermal conductivity without using any liquid. They constructed thermal transistor on an yttrium oxide-stabilized zirconium oxide base, which also functioned as the switching material, and used strontium cobalt oxide as the active material. Platinum electrodes were used to supply the power required to control the […]

Stretchy, bio-inspired synaptic transistor can enhance, weaken device memories

Science Daily  October 3, 2022 A team of researchers in the US (Pennsylvania State University, University of Houston, Northwestern University, industry) has developed a stretchy, wearable synaptic transistor that works like neurons in the brain. They used stretchable bilayer semiconductor materials to fabricate the device, allowing it to stretch and twist while in use unlike the conventional transistors. The transistor is mechanically deformable and functionally reconfigurable, yet still retains its functions when stretched extensively. It can be integrated in robots or wearables and use artificial intelligence to send signals to some cells and inhibit others to enhance and weaken the […]

Researchers create molecule that can pave way for mini transistors

Phys.org  February 15, 2022 Organic molecules consist of aromatic benzene rings, flat rings made up of six carbon atoms, which do not change properties or shape if subjected to electric potential. An international team of researchers (Sweden, Denmark) developed a successful formula to design anti-aromatic hydrocarbons made up of rings with eight carbon atoms. When bent into a tub-shape, it becomes more robust and can both receive and relay electrons. If two electrons are injected into it the hydrocarbon flattens and goes from insulating to conducting—a function like that of a transistor switching from 0 to 1. The combination of […]

Nanowires under tension create the basis for ultrafast transistors

Phys.org  February 7, 2022 Researchers in Germany produced nanowires consisting of a gallium arsenide core and an indium aluminum arsenide shell. The different chemical ingredients resulted in the crystal structures in the shell and the core having slightly different lattice spacings. This causes the shell to exert a high mechanical strain on the much thinner core changing the electronic properties of gallium arsenide in the core. They demonstrated that the strain in lattice-mismatched core/shell nanowires can affect the effective mass of electrons in a way that boosts their mobility to distinct levels. The electrons inside core of nanowires exhibited mobility […]

The first topological acoustic transistor

Science Daily  January 5, 2022 Topological materials are promising for transistors. However, it is difficult to turn off the dissipationless flow of electrons in topological materials. A team of researchers in the US (Harvard University, Wellesley College) has numerically demonstrated a topological logic gate for ultrasound by exploiting the large phase space of accidental degeneracies in a honeycomb lattice. They found that a degeneracy can be broken by six physical parameters and showed how to tune these parameters to create a phononic switch that transitions between a topological waveguide and a trivial insulator by ultrasonic heating. According to the researchers, […]

Revolutionary intelligent transistor can be adapted to perform very different tasks

Nanowerk  December 1, 2021 An international team of researchers (Austria, France) has created a prototype of a flexible transistor harnessing the special properties of germanium and the use of dedicated program gate electrodes. They connected two electrodes with an extremely thin wire made of germanium, which is connected to metal on both sides with clean interface. A gate electrode is place above the germanium segment. The transistor also has a control electrode, which is placed on the interfaces between germanium and metal which can dynamically program the function of the transistor. The fusion of electron and hole conduction together with […]

Researchers develop sensitive new way of detecting transistor defects

Nanowerk  October 11, 2021 A team of researchers in the US (NIST, Pennsylvania State University) concentrated on the boundary, or channel, between the thin oxide layer and the bulk semiconductor body which controls the resistance of the device from source to drain. They used electrically detected magnetic resonance (EDMR) to detect defects in the channel. To focus exclusively on activity in the channel, researchers use a technique called bipolar amplification effect (BAE). The parameter of importance is the interface defect density, which is a number that describes how many defects are within some area of the semiconductor-oxide interface. The BAE […]