Future chips could swap silicon for faster and more efficient 2D crystal semiconductor full of useful atomic 'defects'

Researchers are harnessing the power of tiny defects in an incredibly thin material to one day make computer chips that are faster and more efficient than traditional silicon semiconductor platforms.

"All of our existing electronic devices use chips made up of silicon, which is a three-dimensional material," said Shoaib Khalid, a physicist at the Princeton Plasma Research Laboratory, in a statement. "Now, many companies are investing a lot in chips made up of two-dimensional materials."

This type of "two-dimensional' material, known as a transition-metal dichalcogenide (TMD), can be just a few atoms thick. Computer chips made from these ultrathin semiconductors could allow the development of smaller, faster devices by packing much more processing power onto a smaller surface area.

In a study published May 24 in the journal 2D Materials, Khalid's team investigated whether using TMDs rather than silicon may be a solution to the notion that innovation with silicon-based chips may be reaching its peak. 

The thinnest TMDs are just three atoms thick and arranged like a sandwich. The "bread" consists of chalcogen atoms — elements in Group 16 on the periodic table, like oxygen or sulfur. Transition metal atoms — in Groups 3-12 — make up the "filling."

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The scientists investigated whether they could harness tiny, atom-sized imperfections called defects in slightly thicker TMDs.