Materials for high-temperature digital electronics

Silicon microelectronics, consisting of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor technology, have changed nearly all aspects of human life from communication to transportation, entertainment and health care. Despite their widespread and mainstream use, current silicon-based devices are unreliable at temperatures exceeding 125 °C. The emergent technological frontiers of space exploration, geothermal energy harvesting, nuclear energy, unmanned avionic systems and autonomous driving will rely on control systems, sensors and communication devices that operate at temperatures as high as 500 °C and beyond. At these extreme temperatures, active (heat exchanger and phase-change cooling) or passive (fins and thermal interface materials) cooling strategies add considerable mass and complicate the systems, which is often infeasible. Thus, new material solutions beyond conventional silicon complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor devices are necessary for high-temperature, resilient electronic systems. The ultimate realization of high-temperature electronic systems requires united efforts to develop, integrate and ultimately manufacture non-silicon-based logic and memory technologies, non-traditional metals for interconnects and ceramic packaging technology. Digital electronics capable of operating at elevated temperatures are gaining importance in aerospace, space and geothermal energy as well as oil and gas exploration. This Review presents recent advances and future outlook on critical materials and devices for the same.