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Science 1 March 1996:
Vol. 271. no. 5253, p. 1230
DOI: 10.1126/science.271.5253.1230
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Research News

James Glanz

Silicon circuits are plagued by dangling bonds--unoccupied chemical binding sites in the silicon atoms--which clutch at free electrons and resist the flow of current, leading to damage. Chipmakers try to delay the damage by diffusing hydrogen into nearly finished wafers to cap off the bonds, but the electrons readily strip away the hydrogen. Now researchers have found that a simple isotope switch--deuterium for hydrogen--can provide more durable protection, improving transistor lifetimes by factors of 10 to 50.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)