3D transistors with nanowires promise lighter, faster devices in the future

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Researchers from Purdue and Harvard universities have created a new type of transistor made from indium-gallium-arsenide nanowires, which could replace silicon and has a 3D structure instead of conventional flat computer chips.

The approach could enable engineers to build faster, more compact and efficient integrated circuits and lighter laptops that generate less heat than today’s devices.

“Because the approach is compatible with conventional manufacturing processes, it is promising for adoption by industry”, said Peide “Peter” Ye, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Purdue.

The findings will be detailed in a paper to be presented during the International Electron Devices Meeting on Dec. 5-7 in Washington, D.C. The work is led by Purdue doctoral student Jiangjiang Gu; Harvard doctoral student Yiqun Liu; Roy Gordon, Harvard's Thomas D. Cabot Professor of Chemistry; and Ye.

The work is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Semiconductor Research Corp. and is based at the Birck Nanotechnology Center in Purdue's Discovery Park. I visited there a number of years back when it was being dedicated.

With higher speed and lower power requirements, more processing can be done in the field, right in with the sensors. This can reduce the time to action for organizations as well as provide greater visibility and transparency for what is going on at the edge of the enterprise.