A Beijing University has just announced one of most impressive advances in the history of semiconductors: a transistor gate-all-around (GAAFET) based on a 2D Material of Bismuto, which promises to be the fastest and most efficient ever developed.
According to the researchers, this new technology is able to operate 40% faster and consume 10% less energy than 3NM chips from industry leaders, Intel e TSMC.
Development is a historic milestone for China, which faces restrictions on access to advanced lithography technologies due to US -imposed commercial sanctions.
The project, published in the most prestigious Nature Scientific Research Journal, shows that, instead of just following the current trend of silicon -based miniaturization, Chinese scientists are literally “changing track” to a new transistor paradigm.
If innovation in existing material -based chips is a ‘shortcut’, then our development of 2D materials -based transistors is like ‘trading track’ completely
Professor Hailin Pengstudy leader
What is a gaafet transistor and why will he change the world?
Transistors are the basis of any chip, being responsible for controlling the flow of current, and processing information.
The evolution of this component has undergone different architectures over the last decades, such as Mosfets (metal oxide field effects) and the FinFETs, that improved electron flow control by adding more contact surfaces between the conductor channel and the door.
O GAAFET (“Gate-All-Around Field Effect Transistor”) It is the next generation of this technology. Unlike the finfet, where the door surrounds the three -sided channel, in the gaafet the door completely involves the channel, improving the electrical control and reducing current leaks. The model is already being adopted by manufacturers such as Samsung, Intel and TSMC for 3NM chips and below.
The big difference from the Chinese proposal is the use of 2D materials in place of silicon, allowing much higher performance.
| Feature | MOSFET | FinFET | Gaffet (Gate-All-Around) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Structure | PLAN CANAL WITH CONTROL ON ONE FACE | “Barbatanan” channel surrounded by 3 sides by the door | Channel surrounded by the door |
| Channel control | Weak (only one face of the channel) | Medium (three sides of the channel) | Excellent (total control around the channel) |
| Scalability | Limited to ~ 20nm | Works well until ~ 5nm | Ideal for <3nm and under-1nm scale |
| Current leakage | Alto | Reduced | Minimum due to total control |
| Energy efficiency | Low | Boa | Excellent, because it operates with less voltage |
| Transistor density | Lower density due to 2D design | Better than Mosfet, but still limited | Greater density due to the stackable structure |
| Use in the industry | Old chips and less demanding technologies | Chips de 7nm a 3nm (Intel, TSMC, Samsung) | 3nm chips and below (next generation) |
| Main advantage | Simplicity and lower cost | Better control and lower leakage | Better performance and energy efficiency |
The Revolution of the Bismute: Why abandon silicon?
The great differential of the Chinese transistor is its base material: the bi₂o₂se (bismute oxisseleneto). 2D materials like this are considered the future of electronics, as they offer:
- Greater flexibility and resistance in nanometric scales
- Lower loss of performance in under-1nm dimensions
- Greater energy efficiency in low voltages
While silicon finds physical challenges when reduced to scales below 10nm, materials such as bi₂o₂se maintain high electronic mobility, delivering better driving and lower energy expenditure.
Therefore, the creation of a non -silicon functional transistor can represent a radical change in industry. Currently, China, USA, Taiwan and South Korea dispute the domain of semiconductor production, but China’s access restrictions to advanced equipment, such as EUV lithography machines, make it difficult to enter the state -of -the -art market.
With this discovery, Beijing can skip steps and completely prevent the need for western technologies, creating a new chip market based on alternative materials.
In addition, Chinese scientists have shown that their transistor can be stacked in multiple layers without compromising efficiency, facilitating the creation of 3D monolithic circuits extremely compact and powerful.
Also read:
A leap in the semiconductor race: Is the future in 2D materials?
Although it is still early to even decree Silicon’s defeat, Beijing University research shows that the semiconductor industry may be about to go through an unprecedented revolution.
With a fully new approach, China seeks not only to overcome current limitations, but define the future of chip technology and take the lead quickly.
If the research continues to evolve and can be applied to mass production, we may be witnessing the birth of a new era to semiconductors – and bismutus can become the new pattern of industry.
Fonte: Nature
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Source: https://www.adrenaline.com.br/tech/china-revoluciona-chips-com-transistor-2d-com-bismuto-sem-silicio/
