Using an artificial sapphire, a team of Chinese scientists has developed dielectric wafers, which are expected to increase the lifespan of batteries.
The groundbreaking research also paves the way for more power-efficient chips.
In the area of dielectric materials, the miniaturization of transistors has presented a tough challenge as devices continue to shrink.
Dielectric materials, which typically act as insulators in chips, loose their effectiveness at the nanoscale – that’s one of the reasons our smartphones tend to heat up and have short battery life.
Artificial sapphire dielectric wafers developed
In an attempt to address this issue, the researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed artificial sapphire dielectric wafers using a novel intercalation oxidation process.
“The aluminum oxide we created is essentially artificial sapphire, identical to natural sapphire in terms of crystal structure, dielectric properties and insulation characteristics,” said Tian Zi’ao, a researcher involved in the project.
This new achievement can help researchers develop power-efficient devices with extended battery life. Chips created with this new technology can be crucial for advancing artificial intelligence and Internet of Things applications, according to researchers.
Single-crystal aluminum oxide dielectric material
“By using intercalation oxidation technology on single-crystal aluminium, we were able to produce this single-crystal aluminium oxide dielectric material,” explained researcher Di Zengfeng.
“Unlike traditional amorphous dielectric materials, our crystalline sapphire can achieve exceptionally low leakage at just one-nanometer level.”
The team grew a single-crystal aluminium wafer and then inserted oxygen atoms at room temperature to form a single-crystalline aluminium oxide just 1.25 nanometres thick – a very thin layer of artificial sapphire, reported SCMP.
Published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, the study maintains that the atomic-thick sapphire film could be used to build more efficient two-dimensional circuits.
Di claimed that by constructing complex 2D integrated circuits, the huge potential of 2D materials can be fully unlocked and can lay the groundwork for the next generation of high-performance electronic devices.
Researchers showcased outstanding processing reproducibility and uniformity of the film in a batch of 100 devices.
The researchers said the simplicity of the method meant it could be easily scaled to industrial production levels. The manufacturing technique and material characteristics of sapphire film were also compatible with existing silicon-based processes, reported SCMP.
The development is claimed to be a major step for applying two-dimensional semiconductor materials to industrial settings. The breakthrough development also holds strong potential to increase the battery life of smartphones.
