The decrease in signal processing speed due to increased resistance and capacitance delay resulting from aggressive miniaturisation of logic and memory devices is a major obstacle for continued down scaling of electronics. 1-3 In particular, minimizing the dimensions of interconnects -metal wires that connect different device components on the chip -is crucial for device scaling. The interconnects are isolated from each other by nonconducting or dielectric layers. Much of the recent research has focused on decreasing the resistance of scaled interconnects because integration of dielectrics using complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) compatible processes has proven to be exceptionally challenging. The key requirements for interconnect isolation materials are that they should possess low relative dielectric constants (referred to as values), serve as diffusion barriers against migration of interconnect metals such as cobalt into semiconductors and be thermally, chemically and mechanically stable. In 2005, the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) recommended dielectrics with -values of < 2.2 and the most recent report recommends dielectric values of ≤ 2 by 2028. 4 Despite this, state-of-the-art low- materials, such as silicon oxide derivatives, organic compounds, and aerogels exhibit  values > 2 and possess poor thermomechanical properties. 5 Here, we report a dielectric thin film with ultra-low  values of1.78 and 1.16 -close to that of air ( = 1) -at 100 kHz and 1 MHz, respectively, in amorphous boron nitride (a-BN) obtained using CMOS compatible low temperature process. We demonstrate that 3 nm thin a-BN is mechanically and electrically robust with breakdown strength of 7.3 MV/cm -exceeding requirements. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveals that a-BN is able to prevent diffusion of cobalt interconnect atoms into silicon under very harsh accelerated conditions -in contrast with

Advanced data encryption requires the use of true random number generators (TRNGs) to produce unpredictable sequences of bits. TRNG circuits with high degree of randomness and low power consumption may be fabricated by using the random telegraph noise (RTN) current signals produced by polarized metal/insulator/metal (MIM) devices as entropy source. However, the RTN signals produced by MIM devices made of traditional insulators, i.e., transition metal oxides like HfO2 and Al2O3, are not stable enough due to the formation and lateral expansion of defect clusters, resulting in undesired current fluctuations and the disappearance of the RTN effect. Here, the fabrication of highly stable TRNG circuits with low power consumption, high degree of randomness (even for a long string of 224 − 1 bits), and high throughput of 1 Mbit s−1 by using MIM devices made of multilayer hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) is shown. Their application is also demonstrated to produce one‐time passwords, which is ideal for the internet‐of‐everything. The superior stability of the h‐BN‐based TRNG is related to the presence of few‐atoms‐wide defects embedded within the layered and crystalline structure of the h‐BN stack, which produces a confinement effect that avoids their lateral expansion and results in stable operation.

Networks based on nanoscale resistive switching junctions are considered promising for the fabrication of neuromorphic computing architectures.

Porous Si/eumelanin hybrids are a novel class of organic–inorganic hybrid materials that hold considerable promise for photovoltaic applications. Current progress toward device setup is, however, hindered by photocurrent stability issues, which require a detailed understanding of the mechanisms underlying the buildup and consolidation of the eumelanin–silicon interface. Herein we report an integrated experimental and computational study aimed at probing interface stability via surface modification and eumelanin manipulation, and at modeling the organic–inorganic interface via formation of a 5,6-dihydroxyindole (DHI) tetramer and its adhesion to silicon. The results indicated that mild silicon oxidation increases photocurrent stability via enhancement of the DHI–surface interaction, and that higher oxidation states in DHI oligomers create more favorable conditions for the efficient adhesion of growing eumelanin.