Time to replace silicon from microchips

After the decades of progress, the revolutionary path of silicon is seems to be at its end. Silicon has some limitations like we cannot go beyond the scale of 10nm. So, to accelerate its pace, there is a need of some other materials. 2-D layered materials prove as a replaceable option in this case. These materials offer unique electrical, optical, chemical and mechanical properties. In addition, they are also having extensive scalability.

Graphene, the first two-dimensional (2D) material with excellent electronic, optical and mechanical properties has given birth to research on several other 2D materials. The absence of band gap in graphene and other challenges related to its stability makes its dealing difficult for scientists. More recently, the family of transition family dichalcogenides like Molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) has received a lot of attention and it opens a door for future nanoelectronics.

MoS₂ can miniature the silicon microchip. In a 0.65 nm thin sheet of MoS₂, the electrons can move around as quickly as in a 2 nm thick sheet of Si. So, decreasing of thickness and size is one of its advantages. Reduced electricity consumption and mechanical flexibility are other advantages. MoS₂ seems to be a better alternative than Si for transistors manufacturing. MoS₂ is also being used in the fabrication of solar cells and LED which leads that this material may have significant future possibilities for various field of electronics and futuristic gadgets.

          MoS₂ has all the important properties of silicon with some additional applications of ultra thin layer structure which allows the channelling of scale down to 2nm and therefore, it dominates over silicon in technology world. It can be said that MoS₂ can be game changer in the future of nanoelectronics.