An academic from Khalifa University has been awarded a US patent for the world’s smallest semiconductor.
Dr Mohamed Rezeq, assistant professor of applied maths and sciences, has been granted the patent for the transistor, which is presumed to consume much less energy than existing technologies. It operates differently to most semiconductors. When in its operation mode electrons jump (tunnel) directly from the nano-metal particles, the basic components of the transistor, into the semiconductor with minimal loss of energy.
Transistors are generally used to amplify and switch electronic signals and electrical power and they are the fundamental building blocks of modern electronic devices, present in all modern electronic systems.
“I couldn’t have done it without the help and support given to me by Khalifa University, especially their internal research fund,” Dr Rezeq said. He also thanked his Master’s reserach student Ahmed Ali, who helped him complete the project in a shorter time than usual.
“Dr Rezeq’s work will very likely lead to a paradigm shift in the semiconductor industry and in particular in transistor design with a huge potential to build electronic devices that are more than 10 times smaller and consume much less power than any of the latest known technologies,” said Dr Mohammed Al Mualla, Senior Vice President for Research and Development at Khalifa University.
“We are very proud of Dr Rezeq for his accomplishments, and we think that it is a testament to the culture of innovation that we try to foster at Khalifa University. We encourage all our faculty to conduct research activities at the highest level, and to involve our students in their advanced research.
In this way we are helping to build the knowledge economy envisioned in Abu Dhabi’s 2030 Vision.”
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