It is reported that a new study published in Nature-Communication by scientists from Pennsylvania State University shows that they have successfully prepared an ultra-thin two-dimensional material transistor-tungsten molybdenum sulfide, which will greatly improve the performance of future chips.

Living in a data-driven Internet world, the challenge we must face is the storage and processing ability of big data. As an important part in the field of integrated circuits, transistors need to be used to store and process more data.

According to Moore's law, every 18 months, the number of transistors that an integrated circuit can accommodate will double. This means that the improvement of semiconductor materials is very important for the improvement of chip performance. With the reduction of transistor feature size, it is necessary to obtain smaller and thinner semiconductor materials in order to further improve chip performance.

Although the three-dimensional silicon material used at present has a history of making transistors for about 60 years, its size has almost reached the extreme, and it is difficult to meet the future demand. Therefore, many scientists actively explore new technologies, new processes and new materials, and find that two-dimensional materials have inherent advantages, and their thickness can be 10 times thinner than the three-dimensional silicon materials actually used at present.

Researchers have prepared two-dimensional monolayer molybdenum disulfide and tungsten disulfide semiconductor materials by metal organic chemical vapor deposition technology, which can be used to make new transistors. In order to verify the performance of the new two-dimensional transistor, scientists analyzed the statistical indexes related to threshold voltage, subthreshold slope, ratio of maximum current to minimum current, field effect carrier mobility, contact resistance, driving current and carrier saturation speed. After a series of tests, the feasibility of the new transistor has been confirmed, which means that the new transistor can not only make the next generation of chips faster and more energy-saving, but also bear more data storage and processing.

It is understood that TSMC's 5nm process technology has been mass-produced, while 3nm process technology will be trial-produced this year and mass-produced in 2022. In addition, it is reported that TSMC has successfully developed a 2 nm process technology, which will be produced in the first half of 2023 and mass production will begin in 2024. If ultra-thin two-dimensional material transistors enter the application stage, the 1nm process will be realized soon.