ACM TechNews

Large Area Transistors Get Helping Hand From Quantum Effects

University of Surrey (08/08/08)

Quantum-size effects offer a significant advantage for nano-designed transistors in the large-area display and sensor application field. The boost to switching performance shows that there are other routes for improving transistors based on disordered silicon films. A team from the Hitachi Central Research Laboratory in Japan and the Advanced Technology Institute of the University of Surrey has made disordered transistors with a very thin conduction channel. The approach supports the design of low-power memory for large-area electronics based on a low-cost industry standard material processing route. Researchers are optimistic about low-power electronics because of nano-structure silicon thin-film transistors, says lead investigator Xiaojun Guo. "However, carrier transport in such devices is very complicated, and results in electrical characteristics that may not be described by conventional field effect transistor [FET] models," Guo says. "This work reveals the key physical properties of the devices, which will help to further optimize and model the devices for circuit design."

http://portal.surrey.ac.uk/portal/
page?_pageid=799,2138676&_dad=portal&_sch ema=PORTAL

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