Thinner and Faster

When CPUs are seeing constant evolution, how can the heart of the CPU–transistors–be far behind?



A new technology developed by Motorola promises thinner, faster, and energy-saving transistors in the not-so-distant future. These are believed to be the thinnest transistors–three to four times thinner than state-of-the-art transistors built on existing semiconductor technology. 

Computer chips based on these transistors will be smaller in size, faster, and will consume less power. So, chipmakers can pack more transistors on a chip, increasing both their processing speed and computing capability. This could lead to faster and more powerful integrated circuits that operate on the power of a single battery. 

The thinness of the transistor is because of a new kind of semiconductor material–perovskites. Perovskites are crystalline oxide material with special properties that make them useful as insulating material in transistors. They’re an alternative to the traditional semiconductor–silicon dioxide–which has been used as a gate insulator in transistors for more than 30 years now. 

The perovskite material was built in Motorola Labs one atomic layer at a time, by simulating each individual atom to understand its behavior in the atomic structure. They then used it instead of silicon dioxide to build a thin insulating film on a silicon wafer substrate. This particular perovskite has electrical properties that are 10 times better than equivalent silicon dioxide. Natural perovskites are rare and are found in Tanzania, Brazil, and Canada. Depending on their specific atomic structures, perovskites have properties like high dielectric constants, and

ferroelectricity.

The industry has been exploring the use of perovskite materials, but Motorola’s been the first to build and demonstrate a working CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) transistor based on this technology.

However, it could be three to five years before the technology is integrated into a manufacturing process, and Motorola expects volume production only around 2004. Transistors based on this technology are also expected to be more expensive to produce initially.