Towards 5 nm and Beyond: Understanding Nanoscale Transistors for Future Electronics

随着晶体管的5纳米栅极长度只有十年的时间，电子设备的工业和大学研究已经将重点转移到硅中的新晶体管架构，如多栅极晶体管或“FinFET”，以及新的2D材料，如石墨烯，MoS 2和磷烯。 这些设备和材料由非经典和非直观的原理支配。 因此，该研究计划的目的有两个方面：（1）使用半经典和量子力学方法来建立理解，这将有助于确定未来电子学的最佳可能路径，从而为全球范围内将“摩尔定律”扩展到2028年及以后的努力做出贡献;（2）培训加拿大高素质人才（HQP）掌握最先进和新兴的电子技术。 这两项活动将有助于加拿大参与并受益于电子产品的机会，因为它继续向纳米级发展。 该计划已经导致了几项研究成果，都出现在领先的期刊上，关于电子新材料的使用，如碳纳米管和石墨烯。 它还导致了新的学术方案和新的课程，以培训和教育加拿大学生在国家的最先进的和新兴的电子产品，其中的细节也已公布，以便在研究界的其他人可以实施类似的战略。 该计划培训的所有HQP都处于良好的位置，在领先的机构和领先的行业中拥有强大的电子技术职业道路。 该计划涉及世界领先的电子公司以及国际学者的工业合作，不仅加强了研究活动，而且还为HQP提供了培训环境和机会。 正在进行的工作将考虑传统硅的中程和长程替代品，重点是新器件的模拟和射频（RF）性能。 具体活动将包括：1（a）了解“鳍片量化”对FinFET晶体管RF指标的影响（随着缩放的继续）; 1（B）评估FinFET中散射的重要性（随着缩放的继续）; 1（c）考虑硅以外的新鳍片材料; 2（a）评估应变对提高MoS 2性能的影响;以及2（B）评估磷烯的RF电位。 总体而言，该计划包括最先进的研究，工业合作和HQP培训，在加拿大和国际重要性日益增长的领域。

With 5-nm gate lengths for transistors only a decade away, industry and university research in electronic devices has shifted its focus to new transistor architectures in silicon, such as the multi-gate transistor, or “FinFET,” and to new 2D materials, such as graphene, MoS2, and phosphorene. Such devices and materials are governed by non-classical and non-intuitive principles. The purpose of the research program is hence twofold: (1) to use semi-classical and quantum-mechanical approaches to create understanding that will help identify the best possible paths for future electronics, thereby contributing to the worldwide effort to extend “Moore's law” to the year 2028 and beyond; (2) to train Canadian highly qualified personnel (HQP) in state-of-the-art and emerging technologies for electronics. Both activities will help position Canada to participate in and benefit from opportunities in electronics as it continues its evolution into the nanoscale. The program has already led to several research contributions, all appearing in leading journals, on the use of new materials for electronics, such as carbon nanotubes and graphene. It has also led to new academic programs and new curricula to train and educate Canadian students in state-of-the-art and emerging electronics, the details of which have also been published so that others in the research community can implement similar strategies. All of the HQP trained by the program have been well placed, with strong technical career paths in electronics at leading institutions and leading industry. The program involves industrial collaboration from world-leading firms in electronics, as well as international academics, enhancing not only the research activities but also the training environment and opportunities for HQP. Ongoing work will consider both medium- and long-range alternatives to conventional silicon, with an emphasis on the analog and radio-frequency (RF) performance of new devices. Specific activities will include: 1(a) understanding the impact of “fin quantization” on the RF metrics of FinFET transistors as scaling continues; 1(b) assessing the importance of scattering in FinFETs as scaling continues; 1(c) considering new fin materials beyond silicon; 2(a) assessing the impact of strain to enhance the performance of MoS2; and 2(b) assessing the RF potential of phosphorene. Overall, the program encompasses state-of-the-art research, industrial collaboration, and HQP training in an area of growing Canadian and international importance.