The use of this new semiconductor in electronics, such as computer processors or medical imaging equipment, could help them function more efficiently, according to the research team.
new semiconductor
material, created by combining the chemical elements germanium and tin, can absorb and emit light more effectively than commonly used semiconductors made of silicon.
It works by facilitating the conversion of light into electrical energy and vice versa, which is essential for the operation of so-called optoelectronic devices, according to the researchers.
Although previous research had suggested that the germanium-tin alloy could, in theory, act as an effective semiconductor for converting light into electrical energy, its production proved extremely challenging, in part because the elements do not chemically react with each other under normal conditions.
Extreme Conditions:
Now, a team led by researchers in Edinburgh has created not just a material, but an entire new class of semiconductors made from germanium-tin.
The approach involves heating mixtures of germanium and tin to over 1200°C while applying pressures of up to 10 gigapascals—around 100 times the pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean.
This process produces germanium-tin alloys that are stable at room temperature and pressure and could function as effective semiconductors, the team says.
The research, published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, was supported by the European Commission. An open-access version of the paper is available here.
The work involved researchers from the Schools of Engineering and Geosciences at the University of Edinburgh, the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, the University of Lille, Grenoble Alpes University, the University of Bayreuth, and the European Synchrotron Facility.
“This work opens new avenues for materials design through our newly defined route for creating reactivity and directing material recovery with the desired crystalline structure. This is demonstrated here to address the growing energy demands of electronic devices and data centers, which need innovative pathways to new materials capable of improving energy efficiency using light,” explains Dr. George Sergiou, from the Faculty of Engineering.
