IQE plc : IQE and Penn State University present...

IQE plc


Thursday 1 December 2011

IQE plc (AIM: IQE) and Pennsylvania State University will next week present a
joint paper on recent key developments in compound semiconductor device
technologies for low voltage transistor applications at the International
Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in Washington, DC.
The paper; "Demonstration of MOSFET-Like On-Current Performance in
Arsenide/Antimonide Tunnel FETs with Staggered Heterojunctions for 300mV Logic
Applications," to be presented by Dheeraj Mohata at Penn State University,
experimentally demonstrated a vertical hetero tunnel Field Effect Transistor
(HTFET) with a record high drive current (I(ON)) of 190uA/um and 100uA/um at
V(DS)=0.75V and 0.3V, respectively.
The research measured, simulated and benchmarked the performance of compound
semiconductor based Tunnel-FET (TFET) with 40nm strained Si MOSFET performance
for low voltage (0.3V) logic applications, demonstrating the potential for
arsenide/antimonide (As/Sb) based materials for integration into future ultra
low voltage electronic devices where high performance and low power consumption
is a critical factor.
Tunnel FET is an emerging transistor concept being explored by many groups
around the world. In traditional MOSFETs, the building block of digital
technology, the transistor channel is turned on by injecting carriers over a
gate controlled p-n junction. This results in a gradual turn-on of the
transistor and works well as long as we do not reduce the supply voltage of
operation too much. In Tunnel FETs, the transistor channel is turned on by
injecting carriers through a gate controlled tunnel junction. This results in
abrupt turn-on of the transistors which allows us to reduce the supply voltage
of operation and hence achieve significant power saving.
The biggest hurdle facing the adoption of Tunnel FETs by the mainstream
semiconductor industry is that the drive current of the Tunnel FET demonstrated
to date is quite low due to limitation of the band to band tunnelling rate in
known semiconductors. By carefully selecting the proper combination of two
different semiconductors and adjusting their composition such that their band
alignment results in a staggered configuration, one can significantly increase
the tunnelling rate and enhance the drive current, or I(ON), of the Tunnel FET.
This has been achieved in a vertical hetero tunnel Field Effect Transistor
discussed in the presented paper and offers the potential to enable a new
generation of electronics that can operate in highly energy constrained
environments.

Established in 1955, the IEDM is the world's premier forum for reporting
breakthroughs in technology, design, manufacturing, physics and the modelling of
semiconductors and other electronic devices. Proceedings of the conference are
published by the IEEE.


CONTACTS:

Technical/Sales: IQE Inc ([phone])
Amy Liu

Press: IQE plc ([phone])
Chris Meadows
Note to Editors

ABOUT IQE.

IQE is the leading global supplier of advanced semiconductor wafers with
products that cover a diverse range of applications, supported by an innovative
outsourced foundry services portfolio that allows the Group to provide a 'one
stop shop' for the wafer needs of the world's leading semiconductor
manufacturers.
IQE uses advanced crystal growth technology (epitaxy) to manufacture and supply
bespoke semiconductor wafers ('epi-wafers') to the major chip manufacturing
companies, who then use these wafers to make the chips which form the key
components of virtually all high technology systems. IQE is unique in being able
to supply wafers using all of the leading crystal growth technology platforms.
IQE's products are found in many leading-edge consumer, communication, computing
and industrial applications, including a complete range of wafer products for
the wireless industry, such as mobile handsets and wireless infrastructure, Wi-
Fi, WiMAX, base stations, GPS, and satellite communications; optical
communications, optical storage (CD, DVD), laser optical mouse, laser printers &
photocopiers, thermal imagers, leading-edge medical products, barcode, ultra
high brightness LEDs, a variety of advanced silicon based systems and high
efficiency concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) solar cells.
The manufacturers of these chips are increasingly seeking to outsource wafer
production to specialist foundries such as IQE in order to reduce overall wafer
costs and accelerate time to market.
IQE also provides bespoke R&D services to deliver customised materials for
specific applications and offers specialist technical staff to manufacture to
specification either at its own facilities or on the customer's own sites. The
Group is also able to leverage its global purchasing volumes to reduce the cost
of raw materials. In this way IQE's outsourced services, provide compelling
benefits in terms of flexibility and predictability of cost, thereby
significantly reducing operating risk.
IQE comprises eight  operating facilities located in Cardiff (two), Milton
Keynes and Bath in the UK; in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Somerset, New Jersey and
Spokane, Washington in the USA; and Singapore. The Group also has 11 sales
offices located in major economic centres worldwide.

ABOUT PENN STATE UNIVERSITY.

Penn State University was founded in 1855 with engineering studies being
introduced in 1882. The university rapidly became one of the ten largest
undergraduate engineering schools in the US.
The Department of Electrical Engineering at Penn State University is a
nationally recognized program with thirty six tenured/tenure track faculty
members, with annual research expenditures of approximately $10 million. NSF
ranks PSU-EE at University Park 3rd nationally in total science and engineering
research expenditures.  The department has major thrusts in communications and
networking, control systems, electromagnetics, electronic materials and devices,
optical materials and devices, power systems, remote sensing and space sciences,
and signal and  image processing.
The Materials Research Institute at Penn State University) is an
interdisciplinary organization for engaging strategic research at the cross-
section of education, science, and innovation. MRI supports research activities
that span the physical, engineering, and life sciences, and draw upon the
expertise of a diverse faculty in departments across the campus. MRI exemplifies
an entrepreneurial and collaborative faculty culture, maintained core facilities
with technical staff and state-of-the-art equipment and  three buildings
dedicated to interdisciplinary materials research that spans over 5 Colleges,
15 Departments, and involves 200+ Faculty, 100 Researchers and 800+ Graduate
Students.






This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of 
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: 
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and 
    other applicable laws; and 
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and 
     originality of the information contained therein. 
    
Source: IQE plc via Thomson Reuters ONE

[HUG#1568036]