In the extremely competitive market for semiconductor production, companies and research institutes have come to a consensus that producing semiconductors using anything smaller than a 10 nm process is impossible using conventional methods, even with the application of cutting-edge production techniques. The numerical value refers to the average half-pitch, or the distance between two identical features in an array. As such, the race is on to find new materials suitable for use in producing semiconductors of ever-decreasing size.

Professor Sang Ouk Kim, from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, has discovered that by arranging DNA on graphene, it may be possible to decrease the manufacturing process to less than 10 nm. The research team hopes that this new technique will allow manufacturers to achieve processes as small as 2 nm. Should this become a reality, chips manufactured using a 2 nm process would have 100 times the density of today’s most advanced chips, which use a 22 nm process.

As photolithography, the current method for patterning semiconductors, has reached its physical limit, patterning using DNA has received attention as a potential candidate for the production of next generation semiconductors, as it is known to form elaborate patterns as small as 2 nm. Using a process known as DNA origami – a cutting edge process for creating nano-structures – the team was able to manipulate metal particles or carbon nanotubes by 2nm. However as this technique only works on specific silica or mica plates, it is not possible to use this on current semiconductors. To overcome this limitation, Professor Kim used chemically treated graphene so that select materials would bond with the surface. Because graphene is flexible, this could also lead to developments in flexible semiconductors.

Professor Kim stated that “the current silicon-based semiconductors have reached their limit for further development.” As a result, “this new technology could bring about a revolution in the manufacturing process for next generation semiconductors using new materials.” He also added that “this new process of using DNA origami on graphene will spur further development of semiconductors and biosensors among other fields.”