Multipurpose Electronics Toolkit using Suspended Membranes: towards Systems on Nothing

使用悬浮膜的多用途电子工具包：走向无源系统

• 批准号: EP/Y000196/1
• 负责人: Radu Sporea
• 金额: $ 106.53万
• 依托单位: University of Surrey
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2024
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2024 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FY000196%2F1
• 关键词: Multipurpose; Electronics; Toolkit; using; Suspended

Concerted progress in energy sources, sensing, and communications are bringing closer a future in which connected smart sensors will contribute to improved health and sustainable use of resources via environmental, personal health, and process monitoring. For maximum value, data should be generated and processed through means that are reliable, but also cost effective, energy efficient, and ecologically sound. By doing the initial conditioning and processing of incoming data close to the sensor (i.e. at the edge of a sensing network), energy savings and signal integrity can be improved, at the expense of local complexity. The electronic devices performing signal conditioning, data conversion, and decision in such systems are typically realised in state-of-the art and exorbitantly expensive chip manufacturing facilities (fabs). Recent pressure on the chip supply chain has increased the appeal of exploring alternative technologies. Chief among these are thin-film processes in which electronic devices and sensing components can be manufactured at a fraction of the cost, but simultaneously with: a major drop in performance; challenges in manufacturing circuits of the required complexity; and in many cases, much higher energy requirements during operation. At Surrey, we have devised and are developing a design philosophy and associated thin-film electronic device called the source-gated transistor (SGT), with superior power efficiency, stability, and amplification compared to conventional thin-film transistors, advantages which come at the cost of further reducing the operating speed. Our recent observation shows that the best SGT performance arises when combining thin semiconductor materials of high electrical permittivity with low-permittivity dielectrics, in a design that is counterintuitive to traditional approaches but is consistent with first principles. In this project, we will demonstrate SGTs and circuits, with hitherto inaccessible levels of performance and energy efficiency, by combining the advantages of the device architecture with the material properties of suspended crystalline silicon and germanium membranes. The charge carrier mobility of these materials, vastly superior to the usual thin films, and the geometrical scaling afforded by the exceptional SGT functional features, will enable circuits that are >100x faster and >10x more energy efficient than previous SGT-based designs. By expressly merging thin-film and "traditional silicon"-based approaches, these devices will serve as unique building blocks for highly efficient wearable, point-of-care, and distributed sensing systems with built-in sensing, signal conditioning, and decision. Even as we will be using materials aligned with traditional chips, our approach will not rely on the costly state-of-the art fabrication facilities, relieving much needed manufacturing capacity for complex chips e.g. processors and AI accelerators, while delivering transformative functionality to an emerging sensor ecosystem.In this initial project, the route to manufacturing will be explored, but as a secondary concern. We will focus primarily on the demonstration of a ground-breaking concept, through innovative joining of previously disparate materials and fabrication philosophies. In a high-risk, high-reward approach, we will confirm transistor operation, not only as amplifiers and signal conditioning stages, but potentially as sensors for bio-, chemical and mechanical stimuli. We will establish design rules and guidelines, supported by numerical simulation and by material and device characterisation. Thus, these advances will holistically represent a toolkit for the implementation of highly versatile, multipurpose sensing and processing systems towards a connected future beyond the Internet-of-Things. As a catalyst for prolific academic and industrial advances, the research will contribute firmly to maintaining the UK's leadership in emerging electronic technologies.

能源，传感和通信方面的一致进步正在使人们更加接近未来，在该未来中，连接的智能传感器将通过环境，个人健康和过程监控有助于改善健康和可持续利用资源。为了获得最大价值，应通过可靠但具有成本效益，节能和生态声音的方式生成和处理数据。通过对接近传感器（即在传感网络的边缘）进行最初的调理和处理，可以提高节能和信号完整性，而以局部复杂性为代价。在此类系统中执行信号调理，数据转换和决策的电子设备通常在最先进的和价格高昂的芯片制造设施（FABS）中实现。芯片供应链的最新压力增加了探索替代技术的吸引力。其中的主要是薄膜过程，其中电子设备和传感组件可以以一小部分成本制造，但同时又与：性能的主要下降；所需复杂性的制造电路中的挑战；在许多情况下，操作过程中的能源需求更高。在萨里，我们已经设计并开发了一种设计理念和相关的薄膜电子设备，称为源门控晶体管（SGT），与常规的薄膜晶体管相比，具有较高的功率效率，稳定性和放大性，这些优势以进一步降低运营速度的成本带来的优势。我们最近的观察结果表明，在将高电介电常数的薄薄半导体材料与低渗透率介电介电介质相结合时，最佳的SGT性能是在与传统方法违反直觉的情况下，但与第一原则一致。在这个项目中，我们将通过将设备架构的优势与悬挂的晶体硅和锗膜的材料特性相结合，并以迄今无法访问性能和能源效率的水平来展示SGT和电路。这些材料的电荷载体迁移率非常优于通常的薄膜，以及由非凡的SGT功能特征提供的几何缩放缩放，将使比以前的基于SGT的设计更快地> 100倍，能源效率高10倍。通过明确合并薄膜和“传统硅”方法，这些设备将作为具有内置感应，信号调节和决策的高效可穿戴，护理和分布式传感系统的独特构建块。即使我们将使用与传统芯片一致的材料，我们的方法也不依赖于昂贵的最先进的制造设施，从而减轻了复杂芯片的急需制造能力，例如处理器和AI加速器在为新兴的传感器生态系统传递变革功能时。在这个初始项目中，将探索制造途径，但作为次要问题。通过创新的材料和制造理念的创新结合，我们将主要关注开创性概念的演示。在高风险，高回报的方法中，我们将确认晶体管操作，不仅是放大器和信号调节阶段，而且可能是生物，化学和机械刺激的传感器。我们将建立由数值模拟以及材料和设备表征支持的设计规则和准则。因此，这些进步将在整体上代表一个工具包，用于实施高度的多功能感测和处理系统，以实现超出三世之外的连接未来。作为多产的学术和工业进步的催化剂，这项研究将对维持英国在新兴电子技术方面的领导地位做出坚定贡献。