NSF-BSF: New Approaches to Contacts to 2D Semiconductors

NSF-BSF：二维半导体接触新方法

• 批准号: 2227346
• 负责人: Suzanne Mohney
• 金额: $ 41万
• 依托单位: Pennsylvania State Univ University Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-15 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2227346&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NSF; BSF; New; Approaches; Contacts

NEW APPROACHES FOR ELECTRICAL CONTACTS TO SEMICONDUCTING TRANSITION METAL DICHALCOGENIDES New semiconductors such as two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides have great potential to advance energy-efficient electronics and satisfy future high computational workloads. However, the electrical resistance for current to flow through transistors fabricated from these semiconductors still limits the performance of devices and circuits. Therefore, researchers at The Pennsylvania State University, in collaboration with counterparts at Technion–Israel Institute of Technology, will exploit complementary expertise to gain fundamental insight into electrical contacts to two-dimensional semiconductors. The insights they gain from testing hypotheses about the origins of contact resistance will allow them to engineer contacts with ultra-low resistance. This project will train graduate and undergraduate students by involving them in research relevant to industry and leading laboratories around the world. The principal investigators will engage in exchange visits for intensive planning and outreach activities to student groups, including outreach to undergraduate honors students at The Pennsylvania State University and middle school girls. Through their own exchange visits, students will gain hands-on experience in complementary research techniques and a global perspective on research. The project will have scientific and technological impact in the fields of semiconductor devices and two-dimensional materials. Considering the advantages and diverse functionality afforded by two-dimensional semiconductors, they have the potential for enormous economic impact through integration with existing, ubiquitous silicon technology. Other technologies that may be impacted include transparent displays and flexible electronics.Two-dimensional semiconductors based on transition metal dichalcogenides are ideally suited for short-channel transistors and energy-efficient logic devices that can be integrated in a monolithic three-dimensional fashion or used for flexible electronics. Yet one of the key challenges to advancing this technology is contacting the semiconductors with low resistance. Moreover, the metal/semiconductor interface plays a crucial role in determining the carrier type in the channel of the transistor. Researchers at The Pennsylvania State University and Technion–Israel Institute of Technology will test hypotheses on the role of metal deposition, use of semimetals, and junction formation on the resistance of contacts to atomically thin semiconductors. They will perform experiments to separate the confounding effects of key variables to gain deeper insight into the metal/semiconductor interface. Their work to elucidate the physics of contacts will be aided by materials discovery of new semimetals. The Pennsylvania State University will exploit decades of experience studying interfacial reactions at contact interfaces, materials characterization, and thin-film synthesis. At the Technion, research will build upon recent insights on current transport in two-dimensional semiconductor devices, including the design of specialized test structures to pinpoint the origin of the components of resistance. By combining these strengths, the team will develop a deeper understanding of Fermi-level pinning in contacts to two-dimensional semiconductors and how to engineer contacts with unprecedented low contact resistances.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

新的半导体材料如二维过渡金属二硫属化物具有巨大的潜力，可以促进节能电子学的发展，并满足未来高计算工作量的需求。然而，电流流过由这些半导体制造的晶体管的电阻仍然限制了器件和电路的性能。因此，宾夕法尼亚州立大学的研究人员将与以色列理工学院的同行合作，利用互补的专业知识，对二维半导体的电接触进行基本的了解。他们从测试接触电阻起源的假设中获得的见解将使他们能够设计超低电阻的接触。该项目将通过让研究生和本科生参与与世界各地的行业和领先实验室相关的研究来培训他们。主要研究人员将进行交流访问，为学生团体进行密集的规划和推广活动，包括推广到宾夕法尼亚州立大学的本科荣誉学生和中学女生。通过他们自己的交流访问，学生将获得在互补的研究技术和研究的全球视角的实践经验。该项目将在半导体器件和二维材料领域产生科技影响。考虑到二维半导体提供的优势和多样的功能，通过与现有的、无处不在的硅技术集成，它们有可能产生巨大的经济影响。其他可能受到影响的技术包括透明显示器和柔性电子产品。基于过渡金属二硫属化物的二维半导体非常适合用于短沟道晶体管和节能逻辑器件，这些器件可以以单片三维方式集成或用于柔性电子产品。然而，推进这项技术的关键挑战之一是接触低电阻的半导体。此外，金属/半导体界面在决定晶体管沟道中的载流子类型方面起着至关重要的作用。宾夕法尼亚州立大学和以色列理工学院的研究人员将测试关于金属沉积、半金属使用和结形成对接触原子薄半导体电阻的作用的假设。他们将进行实验，以分离关键变量的混杂效应，从而更深入地了解金属/半导体界面。他们阐明接触物理学的工作将得到新半金属材料发现的帮助。宾夕法尼亚州立大学将利用数十年来在接触界面、材料表征和薄膜合成方面研究界面反应的经验。在Technion，研究将建立在最近对二维半导体器件中电流传输的见解基础上，包括设计专门的测试结构来确定电阻分量的来源。通过结合这些优势，该团队将更深入地了解二维半导体接触中的费米能级钉扎，以及如何设计具有前所未有的低接触电阻的接触。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。