Semiconductor New Semiconductor Material for the Chips of the Future

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Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH

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Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

Researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich and the Leibniz Institute for Innovative Microelectronics (IHP) have developed a material that did not exist before: a stable alloy of carbon, silicon, germanium, and tin. The new compound opens up new possibilities for applications at the intersection of electronics, photonics, and quantum technology.

The four elements of the new compound CSiGeSn, like silicon, originate from the fourth group of the periodic table. This makes the alloy compatible with the standard process of the chip industry, the so-called CMOS process—a decisive advantage. "With the combination of these four elements, we have achieved a long-pursued goal: the ultimate semiconductor based on the fourth group," explains Dr. Dan Buca from the Jülich Research Center.

Generate Structures Directly on the Chip

The new alloy allows properties to be finely tuned, enabling components that would not be achievable with pure silicon: for example, for optical components or quantum circuits. The structures can be created directly on the chip during manufacturing. Chemistry sets clear limits here: only elements belonging to the same group as silicon seamlessly integrate into the crystal lattice on the wafer. Elements from other groups disrupt the delicate structure. The underlying process is called epitaxy, a key process in semiconductor technology, where thin layers are deposited atomically on a substrate.

New possibilities also arise for the development of suitable thermoelectrics to convert heat in wearables and computer chips into electrical energy.

Dan Buca

Integration of Optics And Electronics

Previously, Dan Buca and his team had successfully combined silicon, germanium, and tin to develop transistors, photodetectors, lasers, LEDs, and thermoelectric materials. The addition of carbon now expands the possibilities for precisely tuning the bandgap—a key factor for electronic and photonic behavior. "An example is a laser that works at room temperature. Many optical applications from the silicon group are still in their infancy," explains Dan Buca. "New possibilities also arise for the development of suitable thermoelectrics to convert heat from wearables and computer chips into electrical energy."

The material offers a previously unique combination of tunable optical properties and silicon compatibility.

Prof. Dr. Giovanni Capellini

Opposites United in the Lattice

The production of the new compound was long considered almost impossible. Carbon is tiny, tin is large, and their binding forces are very different. Only through precise adjustment of the manufacturing processes was it possible to unite these opposites—using an industrial CVD system from AIXTRON. Not a special apparatus, but a device also used in chip production.

The result: a high-quality material with uniform composition. This led to the creation of the first-ever light-emitting diode based on so-called quantum well structures made from the four elements—an important step toward new optoelectronic components. "The material offers a previously unmatched combination of tunable optical properties and silicon compatibility," says Prof. Dr. Giovanni Capellini from IHP, who has been working with Dan Buca for over 10 years to explore the application potential of new group-IV semiconductors. "This lays the foundation for scalable photonic, thermoelectric, and quantum technological components."

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