By Peter Weiss
The microelectronics industry is on thin ice. There’s an oxygen-rich, insulating layer inside transistors that’s become dangerously thin as circuitry has shrunk. At risk is the steady pace of innovation that the industry has maintained for more than 40 years (SN: 3/25/00, p. 204: Looking for Mr. Goodoxide).
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Seekers of alternative oxide layers have so far come up empty-handed. That’s because all of them, so far, have too many absent oxygen atoms. This can lead to unwanted charging of the material, says David A. Muller of Cornell University and Lucent Technologies’ Bell Labs in Murray Hill, N.J.