Namlab gGmbH

About us
Based on key expertise in dielectric materials for semiconductor devices NaMLab focuses on the integration and application of its materials expertise applied to reconfigurable and energy efficiency devices. NaMLab‘s approach of placing the device rather than the material system itself into the center of its research activities differentiates it from other world class material research activities in the Dresden area. It also allows taking full advantage of the already existing expertise by forming orthogonal consortia. It therefore fills the gap between basic materials research and its application towards electronic circuits and systems. The importance of this approach was very well received in the reporting period.
Accordingly the research is structured in three main areas:

• Dielectrics for Semiconductor Devices,
• Reconfigurable Devices and
• Energy Efficiency Devices

In the field of dielectrics NaMLab was able to extend its basic know how and technological capabilities in two ways. On the one hand, capacitor materials have been further developed in the framework of an international industrial cooperation program. On the other hand, NaMLab explored new possibilities towards bringing its know-how to the table for organic device by developing new atomic layer deposition based diffusion barriers for OLEDs and other organic devices.
The driving idea behind reconfigurable devices is the fact, that CMOS scaling will reach saturation in the next decade. New solutions to increase the complexity of electronic systems will be required. This requires radical new approaches with respect to the system architecture. Reconfigurable devices aim at changing the function of a device by applying electrical signals. NaMLab focuses on three different approaches.
In reconfigurable nanowire devices, the polarity of a field effect device can be controlled by applying a gate voltage to a dedicated programming gate. In the reporting period two important steps have been taken to drive this approach forward.

First, it was possible to establish a dedicated research path within the framework of the cluster of excellence “Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden” (CfAED). Secondly the world’s first symmetrical reconfigurable device was demonstrated in 2013.
The second topic in reconfigurable devices is field effect transistors based on ferroelectric hafnium oxide. In classical ferroelectric devices materials like lead zirconate titanate (PZT) or strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT) are used. However, their compatibility to Si based complementary meta-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology is very limited. Together with partners from Fraunhofer IPMS and GLOBALFOUNDRIES, NaMLab has pushed this concept since 2009. In the reporting period, it was possible to demonstrate the by far smallest ferroelectric field effect transistor based on GLOBALFOUNDRIES‘ 28 nm technology.
Finally, the third major reconfigurable device concept explored is resistive switching devices. In the reporting period it could be demonstrated that based on Nb2O5 a combined memory and threshold switching can be achieved with application relevant parameters. This allows integrating the device into larger arrays without the need for an additional select device.
The field of energy efficiency devices has two big topics. In the solar cell field it was possible to show optimized backside passivation layers for p-silicon based on aluminum oxide. Work on a universal passivation layer for n- and p-silicon was also started and shows first very promising results. Finally, the development of a new metal wrap through (MWT) solar cell was started together with partners from industry and Fraunhofer institutes. In the field of gallium nitride materials and devices the outpost in Freiberg was opened and the work on growth of GaN bulk substrates in the framework of the GaN Center Saxony was started. A set of test device processes has been developed to characterize both the bulk GaN and GaN on silicon substrates for its applicability to LED and power devices.