Indian-born researcher discovers 2D semiconducting material that could one day outpace silicon-based chips

Engineers at the University of Utah have discovered a new kind of 2D semiconducting material for electronics. This could lead to much faster computers and smartphones while consuming less power.

 The semiconductor, made of tin and oxygen elements, is a layer of 2D material that is only one atom thick.  It allows electrical charges to move through it much faster than conventional 3D materials such as silicon. The material could potentially be used in transistors in electronic devises including, computer processors and graphic processors in desktop computers and mobile devices. This semiconducting material could lead to computers and smartphones that are more than 100 times faster than regular devices, according to the researchers.

The material was discovered by a team led by University of Utah materials science and engineering associate professor Ashutosh Tiwari.