Nanoscale Transistors Could Replace Silicon for Ultra Efficient Electronics

Researchers at MIT have made a breakthrough in developing nanoscale transistors that could enable more efficient electronics. By leveraging quantum mechanical properties, these transistors can operate at much lower voltages than conventional silicon-based devices, potentially paving the way for ultra-low-power artificial intelligence applications. The team, led by postdoc Yanjie Shao and senior author Jesús del Alamo, fabricated three-dimensional transistors using ultrathin semiconductor materials, achieving performance comparable to state-of-the-art silicon transistors while operating efficiently at much lower voltages. This technology has the potential to replace silicon, enabling faster computation with better energy efficiency. The researchers used a unique phenomenon in quantum mechanics called quantum tunneling, which allows electrons to penetrate barriers, and achieved sharp switching slopes and high current simultaneously by carefully controlling the 3D geometry of their transistors. This work is funded in part by Intel Corporation and has significant implications for the development of more efficient electronics.