Researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a method that pairs imaging with simulation to study electron behavior in ultrathin semiconductors. The approach is designed to directly observe how electrons interact with defects in advanced semiconductor devices.
Defects in semiconductor materials can affect device performance, and understanding these interactions becomes more critical as components shrink. By combining experimental imaging with computational simulation, the team can probe phenomena that would be difficult to capture with either technique alone.
The work is led by Berkeley Lab and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy. The new capability could help guide the design of next-generation semiconductor devices, particularly as the industry pushes toward thinner and more complex architectures.