Silicon-free microprocessor technology unveiled, 40% faster than Intel's top chips

Researchers from Peking University have claimed to have created a silicon-free transistor that is pegged to improve processor speed and efficiency significantly.

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The creation is detailed in a new study published in Nature Materials that explains a next-generation chip architecture that could replace traditional silicon-based microprocessors as we know them. The new design involves a two-dimensional material called bismuth oxyselenide, which the study explains is not only thinner and more flexible than silicon, but also enables faster electron movement along with more control over electrical currents. According to the study, the new transistor is able to completely wrap the gate around every side of the source, providing complete coverage.

Notably, traditional transistor designs are only able to cover three sides of the source, and since the new design is able to wrap the gate around the entire source, there is less energy loss and more current control, which leads designers to have faster and more efficient performance. The researchers behind the paper state that the new silicon-free transistor has the potential to be 40% faster than top silicon-based chips from companies such as Intel, while also using 10% less energy.

"It is the fastest, most efficient transistor ever," according to an official statement

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2D transistor's design shifts its structure from the standard "high-rise" appearance of modern chips to one that appears more like a series of interwoven bridges - per the SCMP

How is this possible? The properties of bismuth oxyselenide enable electrons to move faster, with lead researcher Hailin Peng saying, "If chip innovations based on existing materials are considered a 'shortcut', then our development of 2D material-based transistors is akin to 'changing lanes.'"

Currently, the silicon-free transistor is still in the development phase and isn't even close to mass production, with researchers first needing to see if it's able to scale up. However, if proven successful, the microprocessor industry will certainly be shaken up.