Infineon powers up nanotubes
The devices are based on groups of hundreds or thousands of tubes packed together in parallel. Infineon’s prototype can switch at a voltage of 2.5V. The structure consists of some 300 nanotubes arranged in parallel.
The company sees advantages for the new type of power transistor in terms of a significantly simpler manufacturing process, higher switching speeds, reduced heat development and in the high current densities that the tightly packed carbon tubes are able to withstand.
Power transistors made of carbon nanotubes are still in the basic research stage. It is not yet clear how long it will be before they can be produced commercially in large numbers. Research has previously looked at producing low-voltage/current nanotube components. The voltages and currents used in power transistors – such as the ones employed in electric motors, lamps or power supply units – are more than 1000 times higher.
The Infineon nanotube transistors serve as power switches with the primary objective of minimising energy losses or eliminating the need for mechanical components. Currently, power semiconductors are made primarily of silicon, but their production process is relatively complex and expensive. The researchers hope that power semiconductors made of carbon nanotubes may one day make it possible to produce power switches that are much smaller and less expensive to manufacture than has been possible until now.
Infineon’s research activities in the field of carbon nanotubes are subsidised by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).
