2D Semiconductor Heterointerface for Grain-Boundary-Limited Scaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor devices face challenges in reducing size while maintaining performance due to limitations in materials with decreasing thickness, leading to performance degradation and increased grain boundary defects.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device is designed with two monocrystalline two-dimensional material layers having a coherent interface, where one layer is laterally epitaxially grown on the edge of the other, maintaining similar lattice constants and crystal orientation to minimize defects and enhance electron transfer, and including transition metal dichalcogenides, black phosphorus, or graphene as materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the size of semiconductor devices is reduced to increase integration density, then the number of devices per wafer increases, but performance degradation occurs due to material limitations at small thickness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from three-dimensional bulk materials to two-dimensional materials with atomic-layer thickness, fundamentally changing the dimensional parameter to achieve both small size and maintained performance. This dimensional transformation allows the material to retain excellent electrical characteristics even at nanometer-scale thicknesses
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs heterostructure combinations of different two-dimensional materials (such as TMD layers with graphene or hBN) to create composite structures that leverage the advantages of each material, achieving both size reduction and performance preservation through material composition
2Length of moving object
If the thickness of semiconductor materials is decreased to reduce device size, then device dimensions are reduced, but grain boundary defects increase leading to performance degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses chemical vapor deposition with controlled precursor flow to achieve lateral epitaxial growth, creating locally uniform monocrystalline structures with consistent crystal orientation across the material layer, thereby eliminating grain boundaries while maintaining atomic-layer thickness
Solution Approach 2:
The lateral epitaxial growth process enables the material to self-organize into monocrystalline structures with automatic crystal orientation alignment during the growth process, reducing the need for post-growth processing and minimizing grain boundary formation
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration limits degradation due to grain boundaries, enabling high-performance semiconductor devices with improved electrical properties and scalability.
Implementation Method 1
forming a second two-dimensional material layer by lateral-epitaxial-growing a second two-dimensional material at a patterned edge of the first two-dimensional material layer, the second two-dimensional material layer forming a coherent interface with the first two-dimensional material layer
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a semiconductor device including a two-dimensional material and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may include a substrate, first and second two-dimensional material layers on the substrate and junctioned to each other in a lateral direction to form a coherent interface, a first source electrode and a first drain electrode on the first two-dimensional material layer, a first gate electrode between the first source electrode and the first drain electrode, a second source electrode and a second drain electrode on the second two-dimensional material layer, and a second gate electrode between the second source electrode and the second drain electrode.