KAUST Professor Mario Lanza and his team have developed the world’s first fully integrated microchip utilizing synthetic two-dimensional (2D) materials, marking a significant advancement in microelectronics. This breakthrough integrates atomically thin materials, particularly hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), into a functional chip demonstrating high performance and low power consumption, specifically as a neural network element. Although literature on 2D materials, including graphene, dates back to 2004, practical applications had been limited due to fabrication and handling challenges.
Leveraging standard silicon-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) techniques, the team designed a microchip featuring a 5×5 grid of one-transistor/one-memristor cells, where h-BN acts as a memristor, allowing finely controlled voltage applications. This setup enhances the reliability and performance of the device over numerous operational cycles. The innovative design minimized defects and integrated the fragile 2D material effectively. Lanza’s team aims to collaborate with semiconductor companies and establish wafer-scale industrial processing capabilities for 2D materials at KAUST, signifying a step towards widespread application of these technologies in microchips.
