Materials & Technologies for Future Electronics
Materials & Technologies for Future Electronics
Led by Lain-Jong (Lance) Li
(Chair Professor, University of Hong Kong)
Led by Lain-Jong (Lance) Li
(Chair Professor, University of Hong Kong)
Our Main Goal: Explore device technologies for future electronics
We are developing advanced device technologies for ultra-scaled transistors based on novel 2D semiconductors. New materials with ~ 1nm thickness are required for efficient gate control in a short-channel device. Metal-to-2D semiconductor contact is also the key.
硅基晶体管技术的不断进步一直遵循摩尔定律。然而更小的晶体管尺寸带来的短沟道效应，芯片功耗急剧增加，并最终导致硅基集成电路在 2 nm 以下技术结点接近其物理极限，最终摩尔定律也将走到尽头。因此，急需致力于后硅时代新材料的开发，才能在高性能芯片领域实现跨越式的技术发展。二维半导体层状材料由于耗尽区域小，可将载流子限制在界面附近空间内，因此闸控能力大幅改善，从而有效抑制短沟道效应，同时关电流比硅低，因此可以降低功耗。二维材料同時具有高迁移率，极有可能延续摩尔定律在未来电子中发挥功能， 带来相应的未来产业革命。有鉴于未来高端芯片依赖于新材料的突破，将以未来电子产业需求作为牵引，深入研究二维材料及未来实际应用不可或缺的技术基础。拟聚焦在材料生长原理及技术突破，制备高质量大面积二维材料为主轴，以器件电学特性验证材料质量并推展应用，辅以理论计算设计高性能芯片并完成小规模集成之工艺验证。
What are our contributions to this field ?
In 2012, we first invented the growth of single-crystal monolayer MoS2 using scalable chemical vapor deposition (CVD). We also showed the great potential of using 2D semiconductors in flexible electronics. This innovative CVD method enables the demonstration of most critical 2D semiconductor-based n-type and p-type transistor devices, stimulating many other researchers to work in this field.
This group has decent studies on he growth fundamentals. This team has discovered growth mechanisms and proposed the “atomic edge epitaxy model” that enables the lateral growth of p-n junction, and the growth of single-crystal semiconductors.
His team has also found a way to replace the top-layer S atoms of MoS2 by Se atoms to form a vertically asymmetric 2D layer Se-Mo-S that can not be formed naturally.
During his directorship in Corporate Research at TSMC, his team proposed how 2D materials can be used to extend Moore’s Law for future electronics. His team also developed the scalable growth of 2-inch wafer-level single-crystal hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), which is a critical 2D insulator to protect 2D semiconductors.
Meanwhile, he and collaborators have attacked a few key issues in the field of 2D electronics including: (1) growth of wafer-scale monolayer hBN insulators (2) Comprehending that the semimetal can serve as good contact metals for 2D semiconductors. (3) Integrating ultrahigh-k dielectrics with 2D semiconductors to enhance the gating efficiency for critical short-channel devices.
