Breakthrough Transistor Design Using InGaOx Material Paves Way Beyond Silicon Limits

Transistors, hailed as one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, are the fundamental building blocks of modern electronic devices. However, as electronic components continue to shrink in size, traditional silicon-based transistors are approaching their physical and performance limits. In response, a research team at the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo, has developed an innovative solution—transistors based on gallium-doped indium oxide (InGaOx), offering a promising alternative to conventional silicon technology.

The newly developed transistors feature a "gate-all-around" (GAA) architecture, where the gate electrode completely surrounds the channel, significantly enhancing both performance and scalability. Indium oxide naturally suffers from oxygen vacancy defects that impair stability by scattering charge carriers. To overcome this, the researchers doped the material with gallium, effectively suppressing these vacancies and greatly improving device reliability.

The fabrication process utilized atomic layer deposition (ALD) to precisely form ultra-thin layers of InGaOx around the channel, followed by heat treatment to promote an ordered crystalline structure. The result is a novel gate-all-around metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) with impressive performance metrics: an electron mobility of 44.5 cm²/Vs and stable operation under prolonged stress testing for nearly three hours—surpassing prior devices of its kind.

This advancement opens new avenues for creating high-density, high-reliability electronic components, particularly suited for data-intensive and AI-driven applications. Looking ahead, these transistors may play a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of electronic technologies, profoundly impacting future lifestyles.