As scientists continue to hunt for a material that will make it possible to pack more transistors on a chip, new research from McGill University and Université de Montréal adds to evidence that black phosphorus could emerge as a strong candidate.
In a study published today in Nature Communications, the researchers report that when electrons move in a phosphorus transistor, they do so only in two dimensions. The finding suggests that black phosphorus could help engineers surmount one of the big challenges for future electronics: designing energy-efficient transistors.
“Transistors work more efficiently when they are thin, with electrons moving in only two dimensions,” says Thomas Szkopek, an associate professor in McGill’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and senior author of the new study. “Nothing gets thinner than a single layer of atoms.”
In 2004, physicists at the University of Manchester in the U.K. first isolated and explored the remarkable properties of graphene — a one-atom-thick layer of carbon. Since then scientists have rushed to investigate a range of other two-dimensional materials. One of those is black phosphorus, a form of phosphorus that is similar to graphite and can be separated easily into single atomic layers, known as phosphorene.
Phosphorene has sparked growing interest because it overcomes many of the challenges of using graphene in electronics. Unlike graphene, which acts like a metal, black phosphorus is a natural semiconductor: it can be readily switched on and off.
“To lower the operating voltage of transistors, and thereby reduce the heat they generate, we have to get closer and closer to designing the transistor at the atomic level,” Szkopek says. “The toolbox of the future for transistor designers will require a variety of atomic-layered materials: an ideal semiconductor, an ideal metal, and an ideal dielectric. All three components must be optimized for a well-designed transistor. Black phosphorus fills the semiconducting-material role.”
The work resulted from a multidisciplinary collaboration among Szkopek’s nanoelectronics research group, the nanoscience lab of McGill Physics Prof. Guillaume Gervais, and the nanostructures research group of Prof. Richard Martel in Université de Montréal’s Department of Chemistry.
To examine how the electrons move in a phosphorus transistor, the researchers observed them under the influence of a magnetic field in experiments performed at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, FL, the largest and highest-powered magnet laboratory in the world. This research “provides important insights into the fundamental physics that dictate the behavior of black phosphorus,” says Tim Murphy, DC Field Facility Director at the Florida facility.
“What’s surprising in these results is that the electrons are able to be pulled into a sheet of charge which is two-dimensional, even though they occupy a volume that is several atomic layers in thickness,” Szkopek says. That finding is significant because it could potentially facilitate manufacturing the material — though at this point “no one knows how to manufacture this material on a large scale.”
“There is a great emerging interest around the world in black phosphorus,” Szkopek says. “We are still a long way from seeing atomic layer transistors in a commercial product, but we have now moved one step closer.”
Read more: Could black phosphorus be the next silicon?
The Latest on: Black Phosphorus
[google_news title=”” keyword=”Black Phosphorus” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Black Phosphorus
- Yellow Foods - Listed with Pictures And Factson May 2, 2024 at 6:42 am
It really can be a form of art on a plate! So, if you’re making something and think, hey, that might look better with a pop of yellow but can’t think of what to use, we have you covered! Check out our ...
- The Livermore Flagpole Swing Event Marks Its 50th Anniversary This Weekon May 2, 2024 at 12:00 am
Fifty years ago yesterday marked the anniversary of one the most surprising events to ever happen in downtown Livermore. Many Tri-Valley residents still remember it to this day, posting the ...
- 7 Coffee Alternatives for a Healthy Energy Booston April 30, 2024 at 12:08 pm
If you prefer to boost your energy without adverse reactions like anxiety, insomnia, or tummy trouble, you’re in luck: There are plenty of coffee alternatives sure to brighten your day. And best of ...
- Should You Be Taking a Fiber Supplement?on April 29, 2024 at 7:15 am
Dietitians explain the health benefits of fiber supplements, if you need a fiber supplement, what fiber is, and what the best fiber supplement products are.
- 4 Unhealthy And 8 Healthiest Canned Beans At The Storeon April 27, 2024 at 4:30 am
Adding beans to your diet can be an easy way to add a ton of nutrition to your meals, but some types of canned beans have a ton of sodium, sugar, and additives.
- Fireworks at The Diamond: What's the process behind the Flying Squirrels' display?on April 27, 2024 at 3:30 am
For Flying Squirrels graphic design and creative services manager Hunter Glotz, the "In-Your-Face Fireworks" show is a core memory.
- Home, Earth, and Garden 2024on April 24, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Phosphorus (P) helps plants form new roots and make seeds ... Gutierrez Street — erected in 1926 by the Second Baptist Church, one of the first two Black churches in Santa Barbara, before becoming a ...
- How Ugandan Tobacco Farming Inadvertently Threatens Spread of Bat-Borne Viruseson April 23, 2024 at 3:45 am
By cutting trees in response to international demand for tobacco, farmers induced wildlife to start eating virus-laden bat guano ...
- Diabetes Quick Fix: Black Bean Burrito with Jicama Stickson April 22, 2024 at 1:00 am
Black beans, vegetables and whole wheat tortillas come together in this simple vegetarian dinner. Jicama is a root with a thin tan-colored skin that looks like a turnip. When peeled, it’s crisp and ...
- Bright Lit Place: The people who fight for — and depend on — Everglades restorationon April 21, 2024 at 6:07 am
Without freshwater from the Everglades, mangrove forests that protect the shoreline struggle to keep up with sea rise. Spongy peat soils and sawgrass marshes that help clean and recharge South ...
via Bing News
xxx