In a groundbreaking development challenging silicon’s dominance in electronics, researchers at Penn State have constructed the world’s first functional CMOS computer entirely from atom-thin 2D materials. By utilizing molybdenum disulfide and tungsten diselenide, the team fabricated over 2,000 transistors capable of performing logic operations on a computer devoid of traditional silicon. This innovative leap hints at a future of sleeker, faster, and significantly more energy-efficient electronics powered by materials just one atom thick.
Silicon has long been the cornerstone of semiconductor technology, essential for smartphones, computers, and various electronic devices. However, researchers at Penn State have now demonstrated the viability of two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are atom-thin and maintain their properties at that scale, in creating a computer capable of basic operations. The development, detailed in a recent Nature publication, represents a significant stride towards thinner, faster, and more energy-efficient electronics.
Complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, crucial for modern electronic devices, typically relies on silicon. In this pioneering work, researchers eschewed silicon and instead employed two distinct 2D materials to fabricate the transistors necessary for controlling electric current flow in CMOS computers. Molybdenum disulfide was used for n-type transistors, while tungsten diselenide was utilized for p-type transistors.
Professor Saptarshi Das, leading the research at Penn State, highlighted that while silicon has been instrumental in advancing electronics, 2D materials offer a promising path forward due to their exceptional electronic properties at atomic thickness. The successful creation of a fully functional CMOS computer using only 2D materials represents a significant breakthrough, overcoming previous challenges in scaling 2D material-based circuits to complex computers.
The team’s approach involved growing large sheets of molybdenum disulfide and tungsten diselenide using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Through meticulous device fabrication and post-processing, they managed to fine-tune the threshold voltages of both n- and p-type transistors, enabling the construction of functional CMOS logic circuits.
While the operating frequency of the 2D CMOS computer may be lower compared to conventional silicon circuits, it can still perform simple logic operations. The researchers developed a computational model to project the performance of their 2D CMOS computer, indicating its potential and benchmarking it against state-of-the-art silicon technology.
Professor Das emphasized that although further optimization is needed, the development of 2D material-based computers marks a significant milestone in the electronics field. He noted that while silicon technology has been in development for decades, research into 2D materials is relatively recent, with this breakthrough representing a leap forward in comparison.
The researchers credited the 2D Crystal Consortium Materials Innovation Platform (2DCC-MIP) at Penn State for providing the necessary facilities and tools for their research. They acknowledged the support of various funding agencies, including the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Army Research Office, and the Office of Naval Research.
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