21st April 2025 (15 Topics)
1
Apr
2
Apr
3
Apr
4
Apr
5
Apr
7
Apr
8
Apr
9
Apr
10
Apr
11
Apr
12
Apr
14
Apr
15
Apr
16
Apr
17
Apr
18
Apr
19
Apr
21
Apr
22
Apr
23
Apr
24
Apr
25
Apr
26
Apr
28
Apr
Angstrom-scale chips
Context
Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has proposed a cutting-edge research initiative to develop next-generation angstrom-scale semiconductor chips — much smaller than current chips. The focus is on using 2D materials (a new class of semiconductors) to replace silicon and push chip miniaturization beyond current limits.
What Are Angstrom-Scale Chips?
- An angstrom (Å) is 1 nanometers (1 Å = 0.1 nm = 10?¹? meters). It is one-tenth the thickness of today's chips.
- Current leading-edge chips are at 3 nanometer scale, made by global tech giants like Samsung, TSMC, and MediaTek.
- Angstrom-scale chips aim to reduce this by up to 10 times, enabling faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient electronics.
- To achieve this, researchers must go beyond conventional silicon-based semiconductors. This is where 2D materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) enter the picture. These extremely thin materials may be used to construct the next generation of high-performance, energy-efficient chips.
- This marks a paradigm shift in semiconductor engineering, as traditional silicon reaches its physical limits of miniaturization.
What Are 2D Materials?
- 2D materials are ultra-thin layers of material, typically just one atom thick.
- The most famous example is graphene (carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice), but many others exist — molybdenum disulfide (MoS?), hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), etc.
- These materials have excellent electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties.
- They are ideal candidates for next-generation semiconductors because they can:
- Maintain conductivity at ultra-small thicknesses
- Reduce heat loss
- Enable heterogeneous chip design (integrating different materials on one chip)
India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem:
|
More Articles
Courses
Study
Notes
Home
Resources
More
