Pioneering Semiconductor Advancements at IEDM 2024
The 70th edition of the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), held in December 2024, spotlighted transformative semiconductor innovations. This year’s theme, “Shaping Tomorrow’s Semiconductor Technology,” set the stage for groundbreaking developments in both conventional and emerging materials.
Carbon Nanotubes: A New Era in High-Performance Electronics
Carbon nanotube electronics, often overshadowed by graphene and other two-dimensional materials, made a strong comeback. Researchers from Peking University, Zhejiang University, and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China introduced an innovative approach to field-effect transistors (FETs) using aligned carbon nanotubes.
The team achieved an impressive transconductance of 3.7 mS μm⁻¹ by utilizing a directly grown gate dielectric to conformably coat nanotube arrays. Duke University’s Aaron Franklin lauded this work as a significant step forward, addressing key challenges like nanotube purification, placement, and passivation. While production readiness remains unexplored, the research underscores the potential of nanotube transistors for high-performance computing.
MEMS Ultrasound: A Leap in Imaging Technology
Turning to more traditional materials, researchers from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan and the University of California at Berkeley unveiled a novel monolithic integration technique. Their method enables the creation of microelectromechanical system (MEMS) ultrasound transducers using CMOS back-end-of-line (BEOL) capacitors.
As highlighted by Chaerin Oh and Hyunjoo Lee of KAIST, this innovation could revolutionize ultrasonic sensing and imaging, paving the way for advanced medical and industrial applications.
Innovations in Device Scaling: The Next Steps
The semiconductor industry’s transition from fin field-effect transistor structures to gate-all-around designs has laid the groundwork for further innovations. A potential leap forward involves monolithic complementary field-effect transistor (CFET) architectures, where n-type and p-type transistors are vertically stacked.
At IEDM 2024, TSMC researchers, led by Sandy Liao, tackled critical fabrication challenges for CFETs. By addressing threshold voltage tuning, vertical metallized drain interconnects, and back-side gate contacts, they achieved inverters with a 48 nm gate pitch.
Additional Highlights from IEDM 2024
The conference showcased a diverse range of cutting-edge developments:
- Gate-All-Around CMOS Technologies: Notable contributions from TSMC and Intel.
- Liquid-Crystal Spatial Light Modulators: Integration with CMOS image sensors for improved performance.
- Resistive RAM on CMOS Platforms: Fabrication of 4 Mb embedded resistive random-access memory on a 28 nm node CMOS platform.
- Advanced Thermal Models: Innovations in thermal management for integrated circuit design.
- Bionic Compound Eyes: Progress in creating wide field-of-view imaging systems inspired by nature.
Shaping the Future of Electronics
IEDM 2024 affirmed the industry’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of semiconductor technology. From emerging materials like carbon nanotubes to advancements in traditional CMOS processes, the conference highlighted how academia and industry continue to innovate, ensuring the scalability and versatility of next-generation devices.
By addressing both long-standing challenges and exploring new frontiers, the breakthroughs presented at IEDM 2024 underscore a promising future for semiconductor technology.
