Chinese scientists have developed the world’s most complex two-dimensional (2D) semiconductor microprocessor, with the chip set to enter pilot-scale production.
Details of the chip, which is less than one nanometre thick, were published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature on Wednesday. Its most notable advance is that fabrication of the chip does not rely on advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, opening a new, independent pathway for China in semiconductor innovation.
As silicon-based integrated circuits approach the physical limits of miniaturisation, researchers worldwide have turned to 2D materials, such as molybdenum disulphide and tungsten diselenide, to push the boundaries of chip performance.
Typically only one atom thick, these materials offer remarkable physical properties, enabling further scaling and improved functionality in next-generation circuits.
Although wafer-scale growth of 2D materials has been achieved over the past decade, until now the most complex 2D semiconductor digital circuit – developed by the Vienna University of Technology in 2017 – contained just 115 transistors.
“[This is because] carving the same object out of tofu is far harder than carving it from jade,” Fudan University professor Bao Wenzhong said, describing the fragility and challenges of using 2D semiconductors compared with traditional silicon in chip manufacturing.
