Duke ECE Students Present at Leading Semiconductor Conference

Two PhD students from the lab of Tania Roy, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, are putting Duke Engineering on the global semiconductor research map.

Dylan Matthews and Sazzadur Rahman presented their research at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) on December 9, a rare distinction for university research and one of the most competitive platforms in the field.

Considered the flagship conference for micro‑ and nanoelectronics, IEDM features groundbreaking research from industry leaders, alongside a small number of academic teams producing technology with real‑world potential. According to Roy, it’s the first time in almost a decade that work from Duke has earned a place there.

“IEDM doesn’t accept incremental advances in semiconductor research,” Roy said. “Having two papers accepted here means our results truly move the field forward. It’s the same stage where industry unveils its next‑generation technologies, so it’s a validation for our students and for Duke.”

The two papers explore a new frontier of chip design using amorphous oxide semiconductors (AOS)—materials that complement the well-established innovations of silicon. AOS can be added onto finished silicon circuits at very low temperatures, creating “monolithic 3D integrated circuits”—chips that pack more computing power and memory into smaller spaces while using less energy.

As Matthews explained, chip design is running out of horizontal real estate.

“Just like cities that build skyscrapers to combat sprawl, engineers need to build upward, adding vertical layers of circuitry that bring new features and performance to a limited footprint,” Matthews said.

Rahman’s paper tackles one of the key challenges for these devices: reliability. His experiments with indium tin oxide (ITO) transistors show a surprising effect: The devices degrade less at high temperatures, defying long‑standing assumptions about electronic lifetimes and prompting a reassessment of reliability testing.

Matthews’ work focuses on performance, achieving what engineers call “enhancement‑mode” operation in AOS transistors. By pairing ITO with a zirconium‑dioxide dielectric, the design combines strong power efficiency with high stability, an advance that could make AOS viable for the energy‑efficient, stacked logic chips that will power future AI hardware.

Both Rahman and Matthews credit their advisor’s guidance and the collaborative spirit inside Roy’s lab for making the achievement possible.

“To have our work recognized alongside the biggest names in semiconductors is incredibly motivating,” Rahman said. “It shows that university research can still push industry boundaries.”