Scaling-driven nanoelectronics
New materials
Imec wants to improve the performance of transistors by introducing new materials with a high dielectric constant (high-k) to replace the SiO, and metals to replace the polysilicon in the gate electrodes. imec also examines strain engineering: strained silicon allows a higher electron mobility, and thus a better transistor performance.
To complement conventional CMOS, we work on:
- Advanced gate stacks: high-k dielectrics and metal gates
- Silicides & strained silicon, mobility enhancement techniques, ultra-shallow junctions
- Assessment of novel materials on device performance
- Ge and III-V CMOS
Imec also looks into new materials and technologies to to eventually take over when CMOS scaling options have run out. For the post-CMOS era, imec is exploring the use of carbon nanotubes, semiconducting nanowires, and graphene.