Ultra-thin silicon-based material "Silicene" for one atom hidden in the possibility of supercomputer generation

ByArgonne National Laboratory

Research on next generation semiconductor materials replacing general silicon as a semiconductor material is underway around the world, and diamond,Graphene,carbon nanotubeAnd other carbonaceous materials are considered to be promising. However, the substitute for silicon is silicon and a new material whose silicon atom takes a two-dimensional structure in an extremely thin state of one atom "Silicene"Has also raised his name as a competing horse.

Silicene field-effect transistors operating room temperature: Nature Nanotechnology: Nature Publishing Group
http://www.nature.com/nnano/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nnano.2014.325.html

One-Atom-Thin Silicon Transistors Hold Promise for Super-Fast Computing | News
http://www.utexas.edu/news/2015/02/03/silicon-silicene-transistors/

One-atom-thin silicene transistors may lead to dramatically faster computer chips
http://www.gizmag.com/silicene-thin-silicon-transistor/35919/

Ultra-thin material having only several atoms'Two-dimensional functional materialMany of them have excellent physical properties and are composed of graphene or phosphorus atoms composed of carbon atomsBlack phosphorus nanosheetHave been developed and are drawing attention as one of the most advanced nanotechnology.

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Among them, silicon atoms discovered in 2010 were bonded with the thickness of one atom "SiliceneIs anticipated as graphene as a next-generation semiconductor material without inferiority. Although Silicene bonds while taking a hexagonal honeycomb structure similar to graphene, it differs from graphene with a planar structure in that it takes a three-dimensional structure in which the joined "arms" are bent,Spin Hall effect, Superconductivity, hugeMagnetoresistanceIt is considered to have excellent characteristics such as. However, unlike graphene, Silicene becomes unstable when it is exposed to air, so it is also known as an extremely unwieldy material, and experiments to verify and apply expected excellent characteristics are quite advanced did not.


Meanwhile, at the University of Texas at CockrellDigi · Aiken WandProfessor's research team used SiliceneA transistorA research result that succeeded in the creation of the scientific journalNature Nanotechnology. Dr. Aikinwand protected the generated Silicene by sandwiching it with a thin silver film and a thin alumina thin film of several nanometers, then join the silver protective film face up on the silicon wafer, and finally We successfully created Silicene-alumina junction, namely Silicene transistor, by slowly peeling off the silver thin film.


Dr. Aikinwand said, "With this result Silicene gave a new name as a new two-dimensional functional material.In addition to that, considering the physical affinity with Silicon's silicone, it will be a next-generation semiconductor material It is superior to graphene and other two-dimensional functional materials and it can be said that it shows the possibility of greatly repainting the current roadmap of the semiconductor industry, "and said," Ultra high-speed computer using Silicene We have taken an important first step towards the realization of this.

Given that Silicene was only a theoretical material until a few years ago, the creation of Silicene transistors by Dr. Aikin Wand was a breakthrough, and the technique itself of removing it after protecting it with silver thin film itself Has attracted attention as one that can be applied to other thin film material making processes.