Taiwan researchers engineer interface only 0.42 nm thick to improve next-gen MoS2 transistors

Representational AI photo Researchers from Taiwan's National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) and TSMC Corporate Research have developed a new way to improve transistors made from atomically thin materials. They focuses on the tiny boundary where two materials meet, which allowed them to build transistors with an extremely thin insulating layer while maintaining strong electrical performance.According to Science Daily, atomically thin semiconductors have been studied for more than a decade because some can be just one atom thick while still showing useful electrical properties. Such materials could allow transistors to become smaller, faster and more energy efficient than conventional silicon-based devices.However, making these very thin transistors work well has been difficult. One major problem involves the gate dielectric, an extremely thin insulating layer that helps control the movement of electrons. Making it thinner can improve transistor control, but when it is placed on an atomically thin semiconductor, problems can develop at the boundary between the two materials. These can interfere with electron movement and reduce performance.The new study, published in Nature E...