Student Invents Alternative to Silicon Chip

By Alice Hill
RealTechNews

Get your propeller beanie and prepare your mind for a little science. Every time I read one of those “oh no, Moore’s Law is quickly becoming obsolete” scare pieces that crop up from time to time, I always smile. Here’s why:

Weixiao Huang, a Chinese student attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute has just invented a new alternative to the Silicon transistor using a compound material known as gallium nitride or (GaN).

“Huang first developed a new process that demonstrates an excellent GaN MOS (metal/oxide/GaN) interface. Engineers have known that GaN and other gallium-based materials have some extremely good electrical properties, much better than silicon. However, no useful GaN MOS transistor has been developed. Huang’s innovation, the first GaN MOSFET of its kind in the world, has already shown world-record performance according to Huang. In addition, Huang has shown that his innovation can integrate several important electronic functions onto one chip like never before. “This will significantly simplify entire electronic systems,” Huang said. Huang has also designed and experimentally demonstrated several new novel high-voltage MOS-gated FETs which have shown superior performance compared to silicon MOSFET in terms of lower power consumption, smaller chip size, and higher power density.” Source: esciencenews.com

Why You Should Care: The energy efficiency of the new transistors mean that if GaN transistors are used in place of silicon in electronic systems, the new energy efficiency means a radical reduction in pollution and fossil fuel consumption. Better yet, the ability to operate in much higher temperatures means a whole new class of electrical engineering is possible. (She says with her laptop burning a hole in her lap as she types this.) Wonder how long he stood there before Intel came calling?!