Breakthrough in Large Area Single Crystal Technology - Wafer Size Ultra Thin Insulators 

Successfully Synthesized High Quality Single Crystal Single Atom Layer Boron Nitride

In order to improve the efficiency of semiconductor silicon chips, the size of transistors in integrated circuits is constantly shrinking, and they are currently approaching the physical limits of traditional semiconductor materials. That is, when the electronic channel of a silicon transistor continuously shrinks, even reaching below three nanometers, electrons are no longer able to transmit effectively in the channel.

In order to solve the bottleneck faced by transistor miniaturization, global scientists are constantly exploring new materials. After various attempts, the thickness of two-dimensional atomic layer semiconductor materials is only 0.7 nanometers, which is considered one of the known solutions to solve the bottleneck of transistor miniaturization. However, how two-dimensional semiconductors with only atomic layer thickness can transmit electrons inside without interference from adjacent materials has become an important key technology.

                                                                                  Hexagonal boron nitride

Boron nitride (BN), a single atomic layer with only one atomic thickness, is currently the thinnest insulation layer in nature and an important material that has been proven to effectively block two-dimensional semiconductors from interference from adjacent materials. However, previous technologies have been unable to synthesize high-quality single crystal single atom layer boron nitride on wafers. In this study, Dr. Chen Ze'an from TSMC successfully achieved wafer size single atom layer boron nitride and demonstrated excellent transistor characteristics in combination with two-dimensional semiconductors. This difficulty is equivalent to arranging people neatly on the entire surface of the Earth at intervals of less than 0.5 meters, which is very difficult. Therefore, the research team candidly stated that they not only focus on the development of cutting-edge technologies, but also from the perspective of basic science, find the physical mechanism of boron nitride molecule deposition on the surface of copper crystals, in order to achieve the growth technology of wafer size single crystal boron nitride.

(From left) Dr. Chen Ze'an from TSMC, Director Li Lianzhong from TSMC, Deputy Minister of Government of the Ministry of Science and Technology Xie Dabin, Vice President Zhang Yi of Jiaotong University, Professor Zhang Wenhao from the Department of Electronic Physics of Jiaotong University, and Director Lin Mincong from the Department of Nature of the Ministry of Science and Technology.