(July 28, 2016) Recently, “researchers at the University of Utah and the University of Minnesota have discovered that when two oxide compounds—strontium titanate (STO) and neodymium titanate (NTO)—are joined together, they make an extraordinary conductive material that could vastly improve power transistors,” according to Spectrum.IEEE.org.
By themselves, each material operates as an insulator, but together, researchers have shown they are “up to five times more conductive than silicon,” reported Spectrum IEEE, “[…] scientists found that the bonds between the atoms from the oxide compounds arrange themselves in a way that generates 100 times more free electrons than conventional semiconductors, which means the new material can transport more electrical current.”
Nanomaterials have been the great recent focus as a possible solution to heat management issues in electronics. Spectrum IEEE said, “By making more efficient power transistors, less power is wasted, and because wasted electricity is given off as heat, these devices will not run as hot as they have in the past.”
The research is described in the journal APL Materials, but more research is needed.
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