Chinese scientists have achieved a major breakthrough in semiconductor technology, paving the way for faster and more energy-efficient microchips. A team led by researchers from Peking University, Renmin University, and the Institute of Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has developed a method to produce an ultra-thin semiconductor material just 0.7 nanometers thick, a significant advancement over traditional silicon-based chips.
This breakthrough addresses a major challenge in chip miniaturization. As silicon chips shrink, they encounter physical limitations affecting their performance. The new material, based on two-dimensional (2D) transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), offers a promising alternative to silicon.
TMDs possess several advantages over silicon. They are significantly thinner, with a thickness of 0.7 nanometers compared to silicon's 5-10 nanometers. They also consume less power and boast superior electron transport properties, making them ideal for next-generation transistors in electronic and photonic chips.
However, producing high-quality TMDs has been a challenge. The scientists' innovative fabrication technique enables the rapid production of high-quality 2D crystals in seven formulations, making mass production feasible.
The team's approach deviates from the traditional layer-by-layer assembly process. Instead of adding atoms on a substrate layer by layer, they introduce subsequent atoms between the substrate and the first crystal layer, causing them to push upwards like bamboo shoots to form new layers. This "grow at interface" method ensures that each crystal layer's structure is determined by the underlying substrate, effectively preventing defects and improving structural controllability.
This method has resulted in a remarkable crystal layer formation rate of 50 layers per minute, with a maximum of 15,000 layers. The team's 2D crystals, including molybdenum disulfide, molybdenum diselenide, tungsten disulfide, tungsten diselenide, niobium disulfide, niobium diselenide, and molybdenum sulfoselenide, meet international standards for integrated circuit materials, including the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems' electron mobility target and frequency conversion capabilities.
These ultra-thin 2D crystals, when used as transistor materials in integrated circuits, offer a substantial increase in chip integration density. On a chip the size of a fingernail, the density of transistors can be dramatically increased, leading to a significant boost in computing power. This advancement has the potential to revolutionize the future of microelectronics, paving the way for faster, more efficient, and smaller devices.