Electronic materials are solids engineered to exploit specific charge-transport, dielectric, magnetic, or optical-electronic properties for device function. The class spans four major families: semiconductors (elemental Si/Ge; III–V compounds GaAs, InP, GaN; wide-bandgap SiC ≈ 3.26 eV, GaN ≈ 3.4 eV, Ga₂O₃ ≈ 4.8 eV; 2D materials such as MoS₂); dielectrics (gate oxides, interlayer dielectrics, ferroelectrics); conductors and interconnects (Cu, W, Ru, Co for back-end-of-line); and magnetic materials (STT-MRAM, spintronics).
The defining parameters vary by sub-class: bandgap and carrier mobility govern transistor performance; dielectric constant (κ) and breakdown field determine gate stack scaling; thermal conductivity (diamond > 2000 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹) determines power-device reliability. Investment relevance centres on materials that open new device regimes — wide-bandgap semiconductors for EV power conversion, ferroelectric HfO₂ for embedded NVRAM, and 2D materials for post-Si channel layers.
Frontier
- Which wide-bandgap semiconductor (GaN, Ga₂O₃, diamond) wins in power electronics above 1.2 kV over the next decade?
- Can ALD dielectrics maintain sub-1 nm EOT at gate leakage limits for 2 nm node and below?
- What is the scalable supply path for low-defect-density gallium oxide substrates for power devices?