Novel material for improving silicon microchips proposed by UNN researchers
Nizhny Novgorod scientists have obtained a film with silicon in hexagonal phase. This material will make it possible to improve the energy efficiency of transistors, achieving an increase in current at a lower voltage. The new development will enhance the characteristics of the microchips' basic elements and improve the performance of processors. The project implemented by the researchers from Lobachevsky University’s Faculty of Physics is unique not only in Russian but also in the world science.
“Silicon in its hexagonal phase has a special crystalline structure. In certain directions, the conductivity of the material increases, so that the electric current will be higher. Such layers are typically unstable and easily turn into ‘ordinary’ silicon. We managed to stabilise the hexagonal phase. This opens up new prospects for the use of hexagonal silicon in industry,” explained Anton Konakov, associate professor at the UNN Department of Quantum and Neuromorphic Technologies.
The material is grown on a substrate of conventional silicon and is stabilised by a layer of germanium on top. Between them, a homogeneous and continuous layer of silicon in hexagonal phase is formed. Such a film can be used on large areas of chips with a large number of contacts. The authors are planning to adapt and scale up the development to introduce the material into Russian silicon microelectronics.
“In addition to the technologies for creating hexagonal silicon phase, we managed to develop a number of original systems for growing thin silicon and germanium films. These solutions have also been patented. They can be used to produce a wide range of materials, for example, to create a variety of thin-film structures used in the microelectronics industry,” notes Nikolai Krivulin, associate professor at the UNN Department of Semiconductor Physics, Electronics and Nanoelectronics.
The project was implemented under the federal program “Priority-2030”. The development was patented with the support of the UNN Technology Transfer Centre in 2024.
