Project description
Mapping ‘brain-like’ functions in operational devices
Advanced materials play a key role in innovation across several sectors including semiconductors, consumer electronics, automotive and aerospace. The demand for products with enhanced performance and lower power consumption is driving the need for new device structures and materials. Funded by the European Research Council, the ELECTRON project will develop a new technique to image ‘brain-like’ functions in operational devices such as resistive random-access memories. Researchers will use amplifiers to measure electrical currents in a working device exposed to an electron beam, enabling for the first time the mapping of electrical activity in real devices. The goal is to improve the spatial resolution of scanning electron microscopy and electron beam-induced current techniques to atomic-resolution dimensions while testing industry-relevant electronic devices under realistic conditions.
Objective
"Advanced materials are at the core of innovation in the 21st century for a wide range of industries, including semiconductors, consumer electronics, automotive, and aerospace. Demands for products with increased functionality, performance, and reduced power consumption are driving the need for new device structures and materials. Designing, characterizing, and testing of two-terminal devices such as MIM (metal-insulator-metal) capacitors for high performance DRAM capacitors or MSM (metal-semiconductor-metal) select elements for advanced non-volatile memory are key for improved materials stack design and integration. In ELECTRON, I will develop a technique that allows to directly image ""brain-like"" functions in operational e.g. RRAM devices. I aim to achieve operando electron beam-induced current imaging (EBIC) inside a scanning transmission electron microscope (STEM) by using amplifiers to measure electrical currents in a contacted working device exposed to a microscope ́s electron beam, and thus, for the first time map electrical activity of a real device, like neuroscientists use for example, fMRI to track blood flow within the brain: the parts that are being used will light up in the map. This technique will enable a unique and previously non-existent way to visualize electric activity in working devices while being sensitive to electric potential, electric field, work function, conductivity and temperature under simultaneous external stimuli (i.e. heating, biasing, gas). I propose this project based upon the internationally recognized expertise of my group in the development of situ/operando TEM, specifically, the ability to operate and electrically contact stack devices inside an electron microscope and my experience in MEMS-based chip platform design (Nature Communications, 4445(2018)). The goal is to push the spatial resolution of STEM-(SE)EBIC to reach atomic-resolution dimensions while probing industry relevant electronic devices under realistic conditions."
Fields of science
Keywords
Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
64289 Darmstadt
Germany