Semiconductors have been a part of the manufacturing world for many decades now. They continue to evolve by the day with varying capabilities. The idea of cultivating electric components for semiconductors has caught the imagination of a team at the University of South Wales. With assistance from Cambridge University, they hope to make components smaller and faster and avoid oxidation or other damaging effects. These can be built by manufacturing an ultra-small and wafer-thin metal gate within the semiconducting crystal. The electric flow needs to be in close quarters with the switch to turn the transistor on and off at any time, this also needs to be done while maintaining a steady frequency response.
A frequent problem the new process will try to solve is the issue of oxidation. Making the devices smaller and with more singular circuitry, surface oxidation unfortunately is an unavoidable factor. While oxidation is an issue with this process currently, there are also many advantages like making them smaller to avoid scattering, when electron pathways fail to communicate. It will also increase conductivity by two and a half times.
With this innovative design, the team hopes to eliminate excess electrical charge stored in the semiconductor. Even with reduced scattering the team still faces the challenges of scattering preventing high-frequency components from being used inside transistors. Surface charges could cause fluctuations resulting in a short or miscommunication of pathway signals. If the project proves successful, whatever form these new semiconductors may take, they can hopefully be used for a variety of products and applications.