New materials are beginning to reinvent power and efficiency in cars, computers and consumer electronics
Changes may be coming that could expand the possibilities of semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, thanks to the discovery of materials that are readily available in the States. Several materials such the compound silicon carbide, a chemical compound of silicon and carbon will be tested for use in semiconductor manufacturing. The compound has been used as a ceramic, an abrasive and even as a component in bulletproof vests
Semiconductors are materials that conduct electricity better than insulators like glass, but worse than conductors like copper. While there are materials that exist with a higher “bandgap” than silicon– meaning they can operate more efficiently at higher voltages, frequencies and heats– they carry a hefty price tag.
“Currently they are expensive,” said Lucy Shi, a Ph.D. and assistant professor of engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “They have a very bright future, but because silicon’s cost is so low it’s not going to be a one-day thing. There has to be major breakthroughs.”
For more, visit the source: http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/
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