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The two-dimensional semiconductor material family has a new member

It is expected to increase the speed of electronic devices by 100 times

According to the official website of the University of Utah, engineers at the university have recently discovered a new type of two-dimensional semiconductor material, tin oxide (SnO). The thickness of this single-layer material is only one atom, which can be used to prepare transistors that are indispensable in electronic devices. Researchers said that the latest research will help scientists develop computers and mobile devices including smartphones that run faster and consume less energy.

Tin monoxide, a "fresh meat", was discovered by a research team led by Ashutosh Tiwari, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Utah. It is composed of tin and oxygen. Currently, transistors and other components in electronic devices are made of three-dimensional materials such as silicon, and a glass substrate contains multiple layers of three-dimensional materials. But the disadvantage of three-dimensional materials is that electrons will bounce around in all directions within the layer. Tiwari explained that the advantage of two-dimensional materials is that they are composed of a sandwich with a thickness of only one or two atoms, and electrons can only move in the sandwich, so they move faster.

Two-dimensional semiconductor materials became a research hotspot five years ago. Although researchers have discovered a variety of two-dimensional materials such as graphene, molybdenum disulfide and borophene, these materials only allow the movement of negatively charged electrons (N-type). The manufacture of electronic devices requires semiconductor materials that can move both electrons and positively charged "holes" (P-type). The newly discovered tin monoxide is the first stable P-type two-dimensional semiconductor material ever.

Tin oxide materials can help scientists develop smaller and faster transistors. Computer processors contain billions of transistors. The more transistors integrated on a single chip, the more powerful the processor. Eventually, scientists may be able to make computers and smartphones 100 times faster than existing devices. In addition, in this material, because electrons pass through a layer instead of bouncing back and forth inside a three-dimensional material, less friction is generated, so the processor does not overheat as easily as traditional computer chips, and it requires less energy to operate, which is a huge boon for mobile devices that must rely on batteries to run, especially medical devices including electronic implants.

Tiwari said that the prototype device is expected to be available in two to three years. The relevant research paper was published in the online version of the journal Advanced Electrical Materials on the 15th.

Editor-in-Chief's Comments

Tin is an old friend of mankind. Thousands of years ago, people mined tin ore to smelt bronze. This familiar metal was originally used as a flux and played a supporting role on circuit boards, but now it has the potential to become a protagonist. Once tin oxide comes on the scene, graphene and borophene, which have been unable to find a job, finally have a partner. Integrated circuits with a single atomic thickness are about to be launched, and mobile phones that do not heat up after three months of standby time may become standard.

Source: People's Daily Online

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