MIT researchers have developed a groundbreaking transistor using an ultrathin ferroelectric material that could revolutionize the electronics industry. The new transistor showcases remarkable properties, including nanosecond switching speeds and extreme durability, surpassing current industry standards. The team, led by MIT physicists Pablo Jarillo-Herrero and Raymond Ashoori, successfully built the transistor using an ultrathin ferroelectric material they created in 2021.
This material is based on atomically thin sheets of boron nitride arranged in a parallel stacked configuration, which does not occur naturally. When an electric field is applied, one layer of boron nitride slides over the other, slightly altering the positions of boron and nitrogen atoms. This results in significantly different electronic properties without causing wear and tear.
The transistor can swiftly switch between positive and negative charges at nanosecond speeds and has shown no signs of degradation after 100 billion switches. The material’s thickness, at a billionth of a meter, allows for potentially denser computer memory storage and lower energy consumption due to reduced required switching voltages.
Nanosecond speed and durability
This breakthrough could have widespread applications, ranging from computer memory to energy-efficient transistors. Jarillo-Herrero stated, “In several aspects, its properties already meet or exceed industry standards for the ferroelectric transistors produced today.”
The study, published in a scientific journal, identifies Kenji Yasuda, now an assistant professor at Cornell University, and Evan Zalys-Geller, affiliated with Atom Computing, as the co-first authors. Additional contributors include researchers from MIT, Harvard University, and Japan’s National Institute for Materials Science.
Significant challenges remain, such as the difficulty in mass-producing the new ferroelectric materials. Yasuda noted, “We made a single transistor as a demonstration. If people could grow these materials on the wafer scale, we could create many, many more.” Research groups are actively working towards scalable production techniques.
The team is excited about the vast potential applications and plans further studies to explore the complex physical aspects and potential technological uses of the material. This research was supported by various U.S. and Japanese institutions, foundations, and governmental bodies. The development of this new ferroelectric transistor points towards significant advancements in the field of electronics, promising faster, more durable, and energy-efficient devices in the future.
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
