Energy Dissipation in Nanoscale Devices and the Key Role of Temperature

The advancement of nanoscale electronics has been limited by energy dissipation challenges for over a decade. Conversely, the operation of several emerging memory technologies relies on self-heating (e.g. phase-change or ionic motion). These “two sides of the same coin” highlight the need for better understanding energy dissipation mechanisms in future nanoscale devices. In this talk I will discuss two classes of emerging technologies: memristive devices based on phase-change materials (PCM), and transistors based on two-dimensional (2D) materials. High-performance 2D devices are obtained by novel oxide-doping techniques, which enable significant reduction in contact resistance and record current densities in 2D semiconductors. I will demonstrate how electrical and thermal interfaces dominate the performance of such 2D devices as well as the energy consumption in PCM. Thermal interfaces are characterized with Raman thermometry, which enables simultaneous measurements of the device layer and its substrate, yielding unprecedented resolution in the “vertical” direction of heat flow, making it ideal to study energy dissipation at interfaces. Overall, these results provide new insights and pave the way towards energy-efficient future electronics.