- Heat increase results in a decrease in the lifetime of electronic pieces of equipment and limits the speed.
- Research results published in Science shows that Cubic boron arsenide crystal could be an alternative material for semiconductors to keep electronic devices or services cool.
- This is a development that can reduce the power consumption of not only PCs but also data centers and make them less heated.
Researchers revealed the results of an experiment on cubic boron arsenide crystal as a semiconductor which has triggered a breakthrough development for the future of electronic types of equipment and services. It is a discovery that will significantly affect computers as well as data centers where the cooling process is vital.
Cubic boron arsenide has a unique combination
On today’s computers, heat increase results in a decrease in the lifetime of electronic pieces of equipment and limits the speed. Electrical charges are likely to lose some of their energy to heat in unified circuits and other very dense systems, and that heat can increase. It is a problem coming from the basic material properties of the semiconductors, like silicon, used to build these devices. It is a weakness that researchers have been trying to find a better material solution that keeps electronic devices cool enough.
Research results published in Science shows that cubic boron arsenide crystal could be an alternative to silicon material. The researchers have shared the results of their experiment on cubic boron arsenide and have reported that it has a unique combination of properties that are ideal for making high-performance electronic devices. A semiconductor with high ambipolar mobility could lead to making efficient versions of both types of devices, ensuring that less energy is lost to heat.
The ambipolar mobility and thermal conductivity of c-BAs would be a good pair for high-current electronics such as the equipment that sends telecommunications signals and the circuits that control and convert power in electric vehicles. The researchers added that there is still a lot of time needed to make the material and demonstrate it in the real world.
Although the discovery is a result of a lab experiment, the findings show the great potential that the material has. This is a development that can reduce the electricity consumption of not only PCs but also data centers and make them less heated. Less heat will result in less energy loss, less consumption, less cooling capacity requirement, and less space; or that headroom can simply be converted into higher performance.