Quantum leap for transistors

Called a near broken-gap tunnel field effect transistor (TFET), the new device uses the quantum mechanical tunnelling of electrons through an ultrathin energy barrier to provide high current at low voltage.

Penn State, the US National Institute of Standards and Technology and IQE, a specialty wafer manufacturer, jointly presented their findings at the International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington, D.C.

According to Penn State, tunnel field effect transistors are considered to be a potential replacement for current CMOS transistors, as device makers search for a way to continue shrinking the size of transistors and including more transistors into a given area.

The main challenge facing current chip technology is that as size decreases, the power required to operate transistors does not decrease in step.

The results can be seen in batteries that drain faster and increasing heat dissipation that can damage delicate electronic circuits.

Various new types of transistor architecture using materials other than the standard silicon are being studied to overcome the power consumption challenge.