researchers at the university of utah and the university of minnesota released a report indicating a new discovery that could have a significant impact on power transistors. when researchers joined strontium titanate (sto) and neodymium titanate (nto), they created a material that is five times more conductive than silicon.

the abstract from the report read:

“we study the two-dimensional electron gas at the interface of ndtio₃ and srtio₃ to reveal its nanoscaletransport properties. at electron densities approaching 10¹⁵ cm⁻², our terahertz spectroscopy data show conductivity levels that are up to six times larger than those extracted from dc electrical measurements.

moreover, the largest conductivity enhancements are observed in samples intentionally grown with larger defect densities. this is a signature of electron transport over the characteristic length-scales typically probed by electrical measurements being significantly affected by scattering by structural defects introduced during growth, and, a trait of a much larger electron mobility at the nanoscale.”

an article by dexter johnson on ieee spectrum noted that the new material could replace allium nitride as the standard conducting material in transistors. this could lead to more efficient power supplies and to smaller devices.

johnson added, “by making more efficient power transistors, less power is wasted, and because wasted electricity is given off as heat, these devices will not run as hot as they have in the past.”

read the ieee spectrum article at http://spectrum.ieee.org/nanoclast/semiconductors/materials/new-material-offers-a-revolutionary-approach-to-power-electronics.

the full research report can be found at http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/journal/aplmater/4/7/10.1063/1.4959284.