Solve the problem for decades: Eindhoven researchers have developed silicon materials that can emit light.

Hoe in the afternoon, sweat dripping down the soil. Who knows, a piece of baked sweet potato was served for lunch. This is a Bian Xiao in deep space. He told you the news on an empty stomach. Bian Xiao sorted it out for a long time and brought this article to everyone.

According to foreign media reports, scientists have been looking for ways to make luminescent silicon materials for more than 50 years. It has become the holy grail of microelectronics. Preferred luminescent silicon will mean faster on-chip communication, lower heat generation and higher energy efficiency. Now, researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology have solved this decades-long problem by making a new hexagonal silicon alloy that can emit light.

The shape of hexagon is the key to produce direct band gap emission photons.

"The key lies in the nature of the so-called semiconductor band gap," said Erik Bakkers, director of the TU/e project. "If an electron' drops' from the conduction band to the valence band, the semiconductor will emit photons: light."

In traditional cubic silicon, photons cannot be emitted because the conduction band and valence band are replaced to form an indirect band gap. However, according to the theory 50 years ago, the hexagonal alloy silicon germanium will have a direct band gap. The trick is to make such an alloy.

This goal was not achieved until people discovered electronic tubes and wires. In 20 15, the team used another material to make hexagonal silicon, and they also developed hexagonal silicon with germanium shell as a template.

"We can build silicon atoms on hexagonal templates, which forces silicon atoms to grow in a hexagonal structure," said Elham Fadaly, co-author of the team's paper.

Related research reports have been published in the journal Nature.

Now, researchers need to develop a silicon compatible laser. According to Becks, they may make such a device before the end of this year. "If all goes well, we can make a silicon-based laser in 2020. This will enable optical functions to be closely integrated on mainstream electronic platforms, which will break the prospect of on-chip optical communication and cheap chemical sensors based on spectroscopy. "

Because photons are not affected by resistance, they scatter less in the conductive medium and do not generate heat in the process, so the power consumption can be greatly reduced. In addition, in the future photonic silicon, the communication speed inside and between chips can be increased by 1000 times. This technology has many application scenarios, such as lidar in self-driving cars, chemical sensors in medical and food industries and so on.

More information about solving decades of problems: researchers in Eindhoven have developed luminescent silicon materials, so please continue to pay attention to the column of deep space science and technology information, and deep space Bian Xiao will continue to update you with more science and technology news.

This article Source: Deep Space Game Editor: Heart of the Anonymous King 2 Click on the demo.