Tag Archives: Silicon

Technology tamfitronics An artist’s depiction of a missing chalcogen atom in the middle layer of a bulk transition-metal dichalcogenide. Credit: Kyle Palmer / PPPL Communications DepartmentNew research boosts our understanding of a likely candidate for next-generation computer chips.Scientists at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory are advancing semiconductor technology by developing thinner, more efficient materials called transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). These materials, only a few atoms thick, could lead to more compact and powerful computer chips. The research also investigates the role of defects within these materials, which can affect their electrical properties and potentially enhance their functionality.The Evolution of Computer ChipsSilicon computer chips have served us well for more than half a century. The tiniest features on chips currently sold are approximately 3 nanometers — a startlingly small size given that a human hair is roughly...