A new design for transistors could significantly reduce their energy consumption without sacrificing speed, size or performance. Laptops and smartphones contain tens of billions of tiny silicon transistors that must be controlled by applying a voltage. The gate oxide is a thin layer of material that converts the applied voltage into an electric charge, which then switches the transistor. Negative capacitance can boost the performance of the gate oxide by reducing the amount of voltage required to achieve a given electrical charge. Negative capacitance can apparently be achieved in an engineered crystal composed of a layered stack of hafnium oxide and zirconium oxide. I don’t understand how that works, but it certainly sounds good since the amount of energy the U.S. dedicated to energy is quickly approaching that of other major sectors, like transportation. Moreover, it will save money for all of us.
Source: University of California – Berkeley
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220408083839.htm