Technology
Hokkaido University
and Japan Science and Technology Agency jointly developed a new transistor that
reduces the power consumption of the integrated circuit of semiconductor to
less than one tenth. They applied the phenomenon called the tunnel effect that
enabled Dr. Leona Esaki to become a Nobel Prize winner. The researchers built
up molecules on the silicone substrate and constructed a structure where
needles, each of 80 nanometers in diameter, stand together in large numbers.
They built a transistor using each needle as electrode and found the tunnel
effect in the joint of the substrate and needles.
The tunnel effect
made it possible to reduce the voltage required to drive the new transistor to
one third of the voltage required by the existing transistor. The researchers
also reduced the leakage of current during standby time. As a result, they are
confident that they can reduce the power consumption of the whole circuit to
less than one tenth. In addition, it is possible to reduce the circuit area to
one fourth of the circuit area of the existing transistor. The tunnel effect
has been attracting attention as a clue to reducing power consumption, but it
was rather hard to build a transistor that applies the tunnel effect. Related information in pdf file (in Japanese)
No comments:
Post a Comment