- Half meters promise more effective conductivity, surpassing copper in energy consumption
- The limits of copper lead to the search for half-metals such as niobium phosphide
- Niobium phosphide causes electricity better, even nanometric thicknesses
For almost two centuries, copper was the standard for electrical conductivity, used in wiring, microelectronics and computer science – but as electronic devices become portable power plants, it is clear that copper reaches its physical limits.
To this end, recent research at the University of Stanford has shown that Niobium phosphide can surpass copper in ultra-thin films, making it a promising candidate for electronics on a nanometric scale.
Researchers explore half metals as a potential alternative because these materials have unique electronic properties that could improve efficiency, minimize energy loss and improve performance in new generation technology.
Unlock new conductivity possibilities
Unlike traditional metals, half metals such as Niobium phosphide have distinct band structures and topological properties, allowing improved transport of electrons.
The thin niobium phosphide films (NBP) have a much lower resistivity than copper to nanometric scales. As the thickness of the film decreases, the resistivity of the NBP also decreases, reaching only a sixth of the resistivity of the copper to a similar thickness.
At around 1.5 nanometer, the NBP has a resistivity of approximately 34 microhm centers at room temperature, considerably surpassing copper resistivity of approximately 100 microhm centers at similar ladders.
“Better materials could help us spend less energy in small wires and more energy really calculations,” said Eric Pop, professor at Stanford’s School of Engineering.
The problem with copper is that it becomes less effective because it becomes thinner, in particular below 50 nanometers, and that it has trouble managing fast electrical signals, resulting in energy loss as heat, but the Stanford team discovered that NBP, even only five nanometers thick, leads electricity more effectively than copper because of its topological nature, where the exterior surface is more conductive heart.
“Now we have another class of materials – these topological half -metats – which could potentially act as a means of reducing energy consumption in electronics,” said Akash Ramdas, a doctoral researcher involved in the study.
One of the main advantages of Niobium phosphide is its compatibility with existing semiconductor technologies, as it can be deposited at only 400 ° C, a temperature low enough to avoid damaging silicon chips. This means that it could be integrated into current manufacturing processes without requiring costly overhaul.
The Stanford team now explores other topological half meters that could still improve performance and efficiency.
“This type of breakthrough in non -crystal materials could help meet the challenges of energy and energy in current and future electronics,” said Pop.
However, there are challenges to make NBP a viable commercial material, such as maintaining correct layer tolerances during production, because variations in the thickness of the NB layer of seeds can have an impact on the resistivity and quality of the film NBP.
As the demand for smaller, faster and more efficient devices in energy increases, half metals could play a crucial role in the formation of the future of microelectronics. If research continues to progress, nanometric semi-metal drivers can soon replace copper in high performance IT, establishing a new standard for electrical conductivity.
Via the IEEE spectrum
