An alternative technology for semiconductor components was proposed by researchers from two American scientific communities - the University of Buffalo and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln (USA). Neither more nor less, they swung at the monopoly of traditional transistor technology. It may be replaced by magnetoelectric transistors.
The basis of electronics can now be considered a transistor, invented back in the middle of the 20th century, and unchanged - with an npn or pnp junction. The materials are also traditional: germanium, silicon, gallium arsenide - the list is short.
The novelty proposed by Keke He, Jonathan P. Bird and their research team is based on graphene. An atomic layer of this form of carbon is placed on a chromium oxide substrate. Depending on the polarity of the control voltage, such a bundle provides direct or reverse conduction of the controlled variable.
The result, according to the developers, is a more energy-efficient transistor that can reduce global digital power consumption. Not only that, thanks to switchable conductance, magnetoelectric transistors can reduce the number of transistors in logic circuits by "as much as 75%."
Peter A. Dowben, a professor of physics at the University of Nebraska, said: “The traditional integrated circuit faces some serious problems - there is a limit to which it can be reduced ... Therefore, components are needed that can be reduce if possible. But first of all, you need something that works differently than a silicon transistor, and will significantly reduce power consumption.” The full press release of the new technology is published in Advanced Materials.
So far, we are talking about the use of magnetoelectric transistors in digital electronics - this, in particular, will improve the parameters of digital audio and video signal processing systems. Whether it is possible to use the technology in analog electronics - time will tell.
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