Nanotechnology

Unlocking efficiency in next-generation chips: Researchers confirm thermal insights in small circuits

Microstructure of as-deposited and annealed copper films. (a–c) STEM images of as-deposited ~27 nm PVD, ~44 nm PVD-EP, and ~118 PVD films, respectively. The morphology of these films after annealing at 500 °C is shown in (d–f). The micrographs show representative areas of the as-deposited and annealed films. The grain size distributions of both the as-deposited and annealed films are shown in the insets. The grains of these films are columnar. The film has no noticeable pores. As shown in (e, f) and Table 1, annealing at 500 °C causes grain coarsening in most of the characterized films. Credit: Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53441-9

In a leap toward more powerful and efficient computer chips, University of Virginia researchers are mastering heat flow in thin metal films, a key element in the race to design faster, smaller, more efficient devices. An important principle was confirmed.

The research, published in Nature Communications, represents a breakthrough in understanding how thermal conductivity works in metals used in next-generation chips, at a scale once thought unattainable. Unleash the potential of technological advancement.

“As devices continue to shrink, the importance of thermal management becomes paramount,” said lead researcher Dr. D., who has a Ph.D. in mechanical and aerospace engineering. Student Rafiqul Islam. “Think of high-end gaming consoles or AI-driven data centers, where constant high-power processing often leads to thermal bottlenecks. We provide a blueprint for mitigating these problems by improving heat flow through metals.”

nanoscale heat

Copper is widely used for its excellent conductive properties, but faces significant challenges as devices are scaled down to nanometer dimensions. At such small scales, even the best materials degrade in performance due to increased heat. This phenomenon is amplified by copper, leading to reduced conductivity and efficiency.

To address this, the UVA team focused on a key element of thermal science known as Matthiessen’s law and tested it in ultra-thin copper films. This rule traditionally helps predict how various scattering processes affect electron flow, but until now it has never been fully confirmed in nanoscale materials.

Using a new method known as steady-state thermal reflectance (SSTR), the team measured the copper’s thermal conductivity and matched it with electrical resistivity data. This direct comparison demonstrates that Matthiessen’s law, when applied to certain parameters, reliably describes how heat passes through a copper film, even at nanoscale thicknesses.

Cooler, faster and smaller chips

Why is this important? In the world of very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI) technology, where circuits are packed into incredibly tight spaces, effective thermal management directly translates into improved performance. This research not only points to a future where devices operate at lower temperatures, but also promises to reduce the amount of energy lost to heat, a pressing concern for sustainable technology.

By confirming that Matthiessen’s law holds true even at nanoscale dimensions, the researchers pave the way for improving the materials that interconnect circuits in advanced computer chips and set a standard for material behavior that manufacturers can trust. .

“Think of this as a roadmap,” says Patrick E. Hopkins, Isamu’s advisor and the Whitney Stone Professor of Engineering. “The validation of this rule gives chip designers a reliable guide to predicting and controlling how heat behaves within small copper films. This is a game-changer in producing chips that meet the energy and performance demands of today’s technology.”

Collaboration for the future of electronics

The success of this research represents a collaboration between UVA, Intel, and Semiconductor Research Corporation and highlights the strength of academic and industry partnerships. This discovery promises important applications in the development of next-generation CMOS technology, the backbone of modern electronics. CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) is the standard technology for building the integrated circuits that run everything from computers and phones to cars and medical devices.

By combining experimental insights with advanced modeling, UVA researchers are opening the door to materials that not only power more efficient devices but also have the potential for energy savings that will impact entire industries. It opened. In all areas where temperature control is critical, these insights represent an important step forward for the electronics industry, making a future of cooler, faster and more sustainable devices more achievable than ever before.

Further information: Md. Rafiqul Islam et al., Evaluation of size effects on thermal conductivity and electron phonon scattering rate of copper thin films for experimental validation of Matthiessen’s law, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-53441-9

Provided by University of Virginia

Citation: Unlocking next-generation chip efficiency: Researchers confirm thermal insights for small circuits (November 4, 2024) https://phys.org/news/2024-11-gen-chip-efficiency-thermal- Retrieved November 4, 2024 from insights.html

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