GOALI: Pioneering a Quantum Mechanical Route Towards Transforming the Future of Industrial Silicon Electronics

摘要标题：开创改变工业硅电子未来的量子力学路线非技术摘要：2011年国际半导体技术路线图挑战硅电子行业到2026年实现高度激进的性能目标，这些目标被认为对该行业未来的健康和该行业所支持的全球技术社会至关重要。然而，路线图承认，目前尚不清楚最先进的硅技术的持续发展能否实现其2026年的目标。路线图含蓄地假设，硅晶体管的未来化身仍将基于20世纪40年代建立的同一套物理原理。因此，走出这条传统的道路，探索能够以一种符合工业制造的方式实现路线图目标的非传统设备物理范例，可能是有益的。这一研究项目旨在开辟一条硅电子学的新途径，明确地利用硅晶体管运行中的量子力学现象。30多年来，人们已经知道，电子学中的显性量子效应可以带来晶体管性能的变革性改进，这在传统途径中是不可能的。然而，这种量子晶体管从来没有成功地以一种工业规模的硅加工可以接受的方式执行。这项研究项目的主要目的是论证将量子晶体管整合到硅电子产品中的可行性，并开辟一条途径，使用已经成为标准工业制造方法一部分的工具包和协议。因此，该项目将通过为美国公民或永久居民学生提供工作和指导机会，从而提高美国的技术竞争力和STEM培训，使他们能够接触到架起学术和工业环境的前沿科学和技术研究。技术摘要：本研究项目旨在展示以工业标准工艺制造的新型量子阱(QW)硅CMOS器件中的显式量子输运，并开辟一条通向室温量子CMOS操作的道路。使用45 nm和更小的工业cmos节点构建的电子通道和势垒可以与电子量子波长相媲美，因此量子态可以很好地定义，可能直到室温。解决的重要问题是确定在工业限制下实现室温量子cmos器件的可行性和最佳途径。为此，该项目将测量和理解量子输运，这一点通过在德州仪器工业线上制造的特殊设计的晶体管中的负微分跨导来证明，这些晶体管结合了低维的横向量子线。所获得的经验知识将被用于建模、设计和测试量子硅CMOS器件，目的是在室温下获得非常强的量子传输特性。这项研究开创了硅电子学的一种变革性方法，将以目前工业研究尚未追求的方式，直接推动射频/模拟/混合信号CMOS器件实现ITRS 2026路线图的结束目标。这项研究位于基础物理、电气工程和半导体工艺的交汇点，因此为本科生和研究生提供了一个独特的有价值的跨学科培训机会。这项工作将使学生接触到工业视角和研究方法，当他们进入劳动力大军时，这对学生和社会都特别有价值。

Abstract Title: Pioneering a Quantum Mechanical Route Towards Transforming the Future of Industrial Silicon Electronics Non-Technical Abstract: The 2011 International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors challenges the silicon electronics industry to achieve highly aggressive performance targets by 2026 that are deemed vital for the future health of the industry and the global technological society the industry supports. However, the Roadmap admits that it is presently unknown whether continuing evolution of state-of-the-art silicon technologies can achieve its 2026 goals. The Roadmap implicitly assumes that future incarnations of silicon transistors will remain based on the same set of physics principles established in the 1940s. Hence it is potentially rewarding to go off this conventional path and explore unconventional device physics paradigms capable of achieving Roadmap targets in a way amenable to industrial manufacturing. This research project aims to open a new route in silicon electronics that exploits explicitly quantum mechanical phenomena in silicon transistor operation. It has been known for over 30 years that overt quantum effects in electronics can yield transformative improvements in transistor performance that would not be possible in the conventional pathway. However, such quantum transistors have never been successfully executed in a manner acceptable to industrial scale silicon processing. The chief aim of this research project is to demonstrate feasibility of and pioneer a route towards incorporating quantum transistors into silicon electronics using the toolset and protocols already part of standard industrial fabrication methods. As a consequence, this project will enhance US technological competitiveness and STEM training by providing a working and mentoring opportunity for US citizen or permanent resident students to gain exposure to forefront science and technology research bridging academic and industrial settings.Technical Abstract: This research project aims to demonstrate explicit quantum transport in a new class of quantum well (QW) silicon CMOS devices fabricated by industrially standard processes, and pioneer a path towards room-temperature quantum CMOS operation. Electron channels and potential wells constructed using 45 nm and smaller industrial CMOS nodes are comparable to the electron quantum wavelength so that quantized states can be well-defined possibly up to room temperature. The important open question addressed is to determine the viability of, and best route towards, achieving room temperature quantum CMOS devices within industrial constraints. To these ends, this project will measure and understand quantum transport as evidenced by negative differential transconductance in specially designed transistors, fabricated on Texas Instruments, industrial line, that incorporate low-dimensional lateral QWs. The empirical knowledge gained will be used to model, design, and test, QW Si CMOS devices with the goal of obtaining usefully strong quantum transport characteristics at room temperature. This research pioneers a transformative approach to Si electronics that will directly advance RF/analog/mixed-signal CMOS devices towards the ITRS 2026 end-of-roadmap goals in a manner not currently pursued in industrial research. This research sits at the intersection among fundamental physics, electrical engineering, and semiconductor processing, and thus provides a uniquely valuable cross-disciplinary training opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students. This work will expose students to an industrial perspective and approach to research, which will be particularly valuable to both students and society when they enter the workforce.