One of the guiding predictions in the fields of electronics and computing is Moore's Law, which says that the number of transistors on a microchip double about every two years. Now that conventional technologies are reaching their physical limits, researchers are looking for alternative methods to create more powerful devices.
The basis of modern electronics is the use of silicon, a semiconductor material, and one of the potential directions of improving electronics is by finding an alternative to this material. Researchers are looking into atomically thin materials instead of silicon. However, one persisting problem is that connecting these 2D transistors together, or with conventional electronic components, has remained challenging.
Now, in a new study from MIT, the University of California Berkeley, and the Taiwan Semiconductor Company have found a new way of bridging this gap, which could make these atomically thin materials a feasible replacement for silicon. The new 2D transistors could further miniaturize devices, enough to extend Moore's Law in the near future, according to the researchers.
Researchers were able to demonstrate this new electronic connection in the report "Ultralow contact resistance between semimetal and monolayer semiconductors," appearing in the latest Nature journal. The team includes recent MIT graduates, professors, and 17 other collaborators from other institutions.
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