Webinar - Toward low power cryogenic Si MOSFETs

Join online Qing-Tai Zhao for his webinar on “Toward low power cryogenic Si MOSFETs” on October 15th at 11:00 AM CEST

Abstract:

High-performance computing based on the von Neumann architecture is facing increasing power and energy-efficiency challenges. Cryogenic computing, spanning von Neumann, neuromorphic, and quantum systems, has emerged as a promising approach to enable highly energy-efficient data processing. CMOS technology remains a key platform for implementing these systems, but conventional devices optimized for room-temperature operation face fundamental challenges at cryogenic temperatures. As the temperature approaches absolute zero, the subthreshold swing (SS) becomes increasingly limited by band-tail effects, while the threshold voltage increases due to bandgap widening and Fermi-level shifts. These effects degrade transistor performance and pose significant challenges for low-power circuit operation and design.

This presentation discusses the key physical and technological challenges of cryogenic CMOS and explores device and material strategies for overcoming these limitations. In addition, the feasibility of cryogenic memory based on a single fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) MOSFET will be presented. By integrating memory and logic functionalities within a CMOS-compatible platform, this work points toward highly energy-efficient and scalable computing systems operating at cryogenic temperatures.

Bio:

Qing-Tai Zhao completed his PhD in physics at Peking University. He then joined the Institute of Microelectronics at Peking University as lecturer and associate professor, where he focused on the research of SOI materials and devices. In 1997, he was awarded a Humboldt Research Fellowship, which brought him to Forschungszentrum Jülich in Germany, where he currently leads a research group specializing in nanoelectronic devices. His primary research interests include Si-Ge-Sn based high mobility devices and technology, FDSOI and nanowire devices for low power applications, ferroelectric-based neuromorphic devices and cryogenic devices for quantum computing. He has authored and co-authored more than 300 peer-reviewed publications and holds over 40 patents.