Transistors are among the most important inventions in modern technology. They power everything from smartphones to satellites. But as devices shrink, silicon-based transistors are reaching their physical limits. To tackle this challenge, Japanese scientists have developed a new transistor design that could change the future of electronics.
Is this the end of the road for scaling electronics?
A group of Japanese researchers from the Institute of Industrial Science at The University of Tokyo may have an answer. They’ve introduced a new kind of transistor made from gallium-doped indium oxide (InGaOx)—designed with a revolutionary gate-all-around structure.
Why ditch silicon for indium oxide?
“We also wanted our crystalline oxide transistor to feature a ‘gate-all-around’ structure, whereby the gate, which turns the current on or off, surrounds the channel where the current flows,” explains Anlan Chen, lead author of the study.
This configuration allows for greater control over the current, making the transistor more scalable and efficient compared to traditional planar designs. But the shift to a new material—indium oxide doped with gallium—was just as critical.
“Indium oxide contains oxygen-vacancy defects, which facilitate carrier scattering and thus lower device stability,” adds Masaharu Kobayashi, senior author. “We doped indium oxide with gallium to suppress oxygen vacancies and in turn improve transistor reliability.”
Precision engineering at the atomic level
To bring this concept to life, the researchers turned to atomic-layer deposition—a technique that coats surfaces one atomic layer at a time. This allowed them to apply a precise film of gallium-doped indium oxide onto the transistor’s channel.
After deposition, they heated the film to create a crystalline structure, vital for fast and stable electron movement. The end result? A fully functional gate-all-around metal oxide-based field-effect transistor (MOSFET).
How does this new transistor perform?
“Our gate-all-around MOSFET, containing a gallium-doped indium oxide layer, achieves high mobility of 44.5 cm²/Vs,” says Dr. Chen. “Crucially, the device demonstrates promising reliability by operating stably under applied stress for nearly three hours. In fact, our MOSFET outperformed similar devices that have previously been reported.”
This performance benchmark sets a new standard. The transistor doesn’t just work—it sustains functionality under demanding conditions, making it a prime candidate for future technologies.
What this means for the future of tech
This new transistor opens doors to reliable, high-density electronic components, well suited for advanced applications like artificial intelligence and big data processing. Its combination of material innovation and structural design shows how the future of electronics may lie beyond silicon.
While the research is still in its early stages, it lays critical groundwork for next-generation devices. In an era where every nanometer matters, this could be the innovation that pushes computing into a new dimension.
This new MOSFET design outperformed earlier reported devices in both performance and reliability.
Learn more: Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
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