PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Fabrication of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure via PECVD drives AI semiconductor performance innovation!

KIMM achieves world’s first large-area semiconductor fabrication with TMDc and graphene heterostructure

Fabrication of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure via PECVD drives AI semiconductor performance innovation!
2024-11-07
(Press-News.org) As artificial intelligence (AI) technology advances, the demand for higher-performing semiconductors is rapidly growing. The development of new materials and innovative structures to achieve high-performance semiconductors has become crucial. For the first time globally, a 4-inch heterostructure fabrication technology using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) has been developed. This breakthrough enables the production of low-power, high-performance semiconductors, surpassing the capabilities of traditional silicon-based technology.

 

The research team led by Senior Researcher Hyeong-U Kim of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Research Center of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (President Seog-Hyeon Ryu, hereinafter referred to as KIMM), an institute under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Science and ICT, collaboration with Professor Taesung Kim’s team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University (President Yoo Ji-Beom), has achieved the world’s first successful fabrication of a 4-inch heterostructures semiconductor with using plasma technology. This technology is expected to be applicable to AI semiconductors by utilizing next-generation semiconductor materials like TMDc.*
* TMDc (Transition Metal Dichalcogenides): A material candidate for next-generation semiconductors with atomic-level, 2D structures offering silicon-like performance, low power operation, and fast switching speeds. Particularly suitable for neuromorphic systems and used in machine learning, deep learning, and cognitive computing. (e.g., molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂), tungsten disulfide (WS₂), and molybdenum selenide (MoSe₂)).

 

Using PECVD equipment, the research team succeeded in producing two types of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructures. The first type, a heterostructure of WS₂ and graphene, was fabricated by depositing a 1-nanometer (nm) tungsten (W) metal layer onto a graphene-transferred wafer, followed by H₂S plasma sulfurization.

 

Additionally, the team achieved a breakthrough with a metal-semiconductor heterostructure by combining two distinct forms of molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) as thin film. The metallic 1T phase, with an orthorhombic structure, is metastable compared to the more stable hexagonal 2H phase, making large-area wafer production challenging. This new technology allowed the team to produce a 4-inch wafer in the 1T phase and successfully implement the 1T-2H heterostructure.

 

Traditional method for heterostructure, such as stacking, were only allowed to small sizes of a few μm and had reproducibility issues. The team overcame these limitations by using PECVD to fabricate a 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure. This breakthrough allows for the development of a 3D integrated structure, which significantly reduce power loss and heat dissipation, leading to enhance performance and energy efficiency—key factors for low-power, high-performance AI semiconductors.

 

KIMM’s Senior Researcher Hyeong-U Kim stated, “This newly developed technology not only fulfills wafer-size and reproducibility requirements but also allows experimental validation previously restricted to academic research. Using PECVD, a widely employed tool in the semiconductor industry, this technology offers high potential for mass production, likely contributing to advancements in AI semiconductor performance and commercialization.”

 

KIMM has secured original technology for the two forms of 4-inch heterostructure wafer fabrication through patent registrations in both the United States and South Korea. Additionally, the research is featured in prominent journals, Advanced Materials** and Energy & Environmental Materials***.
** Paper Information: 「Electron Release via Internal Polarization Fields for Optimal S-H Bonding States」, Advanced Materials, (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202411211)
*** Paper Information: 「Unlocking of Schottky Barrier near the Junction of MoS₂ Heterostructure under Electrochemical Potential」 Energy & Environmental Materials, (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eem2.12800)

 

This research was supported by KIMM's core project on plasma equipment-based foundational technology development for semiconductor and display industry processes, KIMM's Creative Challenge Research Program, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy's Human Resources Development Project.

 

###

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) is a non-profit government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT. Since its foundation in 1976, KIMM is contributing to economic growth of the nation by performing R&D on key technologies in machinery and materials, conducting reliability test evaluation, and commercializing the developed products and technologies.

END

[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Fabrication of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure via PECVD drives AI semiconductor performance innovation! Fabrication of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure via PECVD drives AI semiconductor performance innovation! 2 Fabrication of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure via PECVD drives AI semiconductor performance innovation! 3

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Plastic device aids robot-assisted heart surgery

Plastic device aids robot-assisted heart surgery
2024-11-07
Robot-assisted heart surgery usually requires an assistant at the operating table to help the surgeon insert the robot arm through a small incision. The assistant has to constantly make sure the surgeon has enough room to operate via the robot arm. For greater independence on the surgeon’s side, an Osaka Metropolitan University-led group has developed a device that can secure the surgical field. Graduate School of Medicine Professor Toshihiko Shibata and Associate Professor Yosuke Takahashi worked with colleagues and small and ...

UVM scientists find space-for-time substitutions exaggerate urban bird–habitat ecological relationships

UVM scientists find space-for-time substitutions exaggerate urban bird–habitat ecological relationships
2024-11-07
As bird populations dwindle across the globe, a new study from University of Vermont researchers suggests some species may be more flexible to habitat changes than previously understood, creating new opportunities for supporting populations through city planting efforts. The team’s findings were published in the Journal of Animal Ecology today. While studies have found bird populations are on the decline—Canada and the United States have lost nearly three billion birds over the last half century—measuring ...

Molecular Frontiers Symposium in Hong Kong “Frontiers of New Knowledge in Science”

Molecular Frontiers Symposium in Hong Kong “Frontiers of New Knowledge in Science”
2024-11-07
Event Date: 15 November 2024 to 17 November 2024 Time: 9:00am - 6:30pm Venue: Main Hall, Shaw Auditorium, HKUST   INTRODUCTION The Molecular Frontiers Symposium, organized by the globally renowned Molecular Frontiers Foundation - founded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences - is recognized as one of the most influential scientific organizations worldwide. For the first time in the organization’s history, the Foundation's annual flagship symposium will be held in Greater China, hosted at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. With the theme "Frontiers of New Knowledge in Science", the Symposium ...

Scientists reveal strigolactone perception mechanism and role in tillering responses to nitrogen

Scientists reveal strigolactone perception mechanism and role in tillering responses to nitrogen
2024-11-07
“How is plant growth controlled?” and “What is the basis of variation in stress tolerance in plants?” were among the 125 most challenging scientific questions, according to the journal Science in 2016. Strigolactone (SL) is an important plant hormone that plays essential roles in regulating branch number, a key growth and development trait for plants. Recently, scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have uncovered the mechanism behind SL perception and its key role in the tillering response to nitrogen. The “gas and brake” mechanism of SL perception allows “smart and flexible” regulation of the duration ...

Increasing trend of overweight and obesity among Japanese patients with incident end-stage kidney disease

Increasing trend of overweight and obesity among Japanese patients with incident end-stage kidney disease
2024-11-07
Niigata, Japan - A new nationwide study from Japan spanning a 14 year study period has revealed an increasing trend of overweight and obesity in patients with the incident end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Although, underweight individuals remain prevalent in this patient population, the study highlights that excessive weight and obesity in patients with the incident ESKD is a shared global challenge. Consequently, the study suggests the need for public health strategies to address the global obesity epidemic as well as underweight individuals in incident ESKD populations. “The global ...

An extra five minutes of exercise per day could help to lower blood pressure

2024-11-07
Adding small amounts of exercise into daily routine, such as climbing stairs or cycling to the shops, could help to reduce blood pressure, with just five additional minutes a day estimated to yield improvements, finds a new study from researchers at UCL and the University of Sydney. The study, supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and published in Circulation, analysed health data from 14,761 volunteers who wore activity trackers to explore the relationship between daily movement and blood pressure. The researchers split daily activity into six behaviours1: Sleep Sedentary behaviour (such as sitting) Slow walking (cadence ...

Five minutes of exercise a day could lower blood pressure

2024-11-07
New research suggests that adding a small amount of physical activity – such as uphill walking or stair-climbing – into your day may help to lower blood pressure.   The study, published in Circulation, was carried out by experts from the ProPASS (Prospective Physical Activity, Sitting and Sleep) Consortium, an international academic collaboration led by the University of Sydney and University College London (UCL).   Just five minutes of activity a day was estimated to potentially reduce blood pressure, while replacing ...

Social media likes and comments linked to young men’s obsession with perfect pecs and a six-pack

2024-11-06
Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram are fuelling unrealistic, unhealthy obsessions with a lean and muscular physique among many young men, according to a new Australian study. Men who place higher importance on receiving likes and positive comments on their posts are significantly more likely to experience symptoms of what is termed “muscle dysmorphia” (MD) – a belief that their bodies are small and weak, even though many of them have a good physique. In an online survey of almost 100 men, aged between 18-34, all admitted to viewing celebrity, fashion, and fitness content on social media sites, but the link with MD was only significant when it came to ...

$2.1M aids researchers in building chemical sensors to safeguard troops

$2.1M aids researchers in building chemical sensors to safeguard troops
2024-11-06
The U.S. Army has awarded a team of researchers led by Judith Su, University of Arizona associate professor of biomedical engineering and optical sciences, $2.1 million to build a handheld version of her record-breaking FLOWER sensing device for active military personnel. The device picks up target compounds at zeptomolar (10 to the power of negative 21) concentrations, an astonishingly minuscule amount of 600 particles per liter. FLOWER is useful for drug testing and a wide variety of other applications, such as health diagnostics.  The military ...

Climate change parching the American West even without rainfall deficits

2024-11-06
Key takeaways Higher temperatures caused by anthropogenic climate change turned an ordinary drought into an exceptional one that parched the American West from 2020–2022.  A study by UCLA and NOAA scientists has found that evaporation accounted for 61% of the drought’s severity, while reduced precipitation accounted for 39%.  The research found that since 2000, evaporative demand has played a bigger role than reduced precipitation in droughts, which may become more severe ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Tanning bed access and usage is driving higher rates of melanoma in specific regions

Mitochondrial dysfunction research transforms mental health: Dr. Ana Andreazza's vision

Dr. Nora Volkow shares insights on addiction science and harm reduction in Genomic Press interview

25-year study reveals key factors in healthy brain aging and cognitive performance

First clinical trial reveals promise of psilocybin treatment for anorexia nervosa

Fabrication of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure via PECVD drives AI semiconductor performance innovation!

Plastic device aids robot-assisted heart surgery

UVM scientists find space-for-time substitutions exaggerate urban bird–habitat ecological relationships

Molecular Frontiers Symposium in Hong Kong “Frontiers of New Knowledge in Science”

Scientists reveal strigolactone perception mechanism and role in tillering responses to nitrogen

Increasing trend of overweight and obesity among Japanese patients with incident end-stage kidney disease

An extra five minutes of exercise per day could help to lower blood pressure

Five minutes of exercise a day could lower blood pressure

Social media likes and comments linked to young men’s obsession with perfect pecs and a six-pack

$2.1M aids researchers in building chemical sensors to safeguard troops

Climate change parching the American West even without rainfall deficits

Power grids supplied largely by renewable sources experience lower intensity blackouts

Scientists calculate predictions for meson measurements

Mayo Clinic researchers recommend alternatives to hysterectomy for uterine fibroids, according to study

Using a fan and wetting the skin reduces risk of deadly cardiac strain in hot and humid weather

Very early medication abortion is effective and safe

Sleepiness during the day may be tied to pre-dementia syndrome

Research Spotlight: Higher brain care score found to improve brain health regardless of genetic risk

Variation in the measurement of sexual orientations is associated with sexual orientation-related mental health disparities

Study shows how high blood sugar increases risk of thrombosis

Cachexia decoded: Why diagnosis matters in cancer survival

Transportation institute awarded nearly $1 million in trucking education grants

Sewage surveillance proves powerful in combating antimicrobial resistance

Natural environment is declining: are companies doing their part to save it?

New study sheds light on the role of sound and music in gendered toy marketing

[Press-News.org] Fabrication of 4-inch wafer-scale heterostructure via PECVD drives AI semiconductor performance innovation!
KIMM achieves world’s first large-area semiconductor fabrication with TMDc and graphene heterostructure