Silicon has long been the foundation of semiconductor technology that powers devices such as smartphones, computers, and electric vehicles. However, its dominance may be waning, according to a research team led by scientists at Penn State.

For the first time, the group successfully built a functioning computer using two-dimensional (2D) materials, substances only one atom thick that maintain their properties even at that extreme scale, unlike silicon. The computer they developed is capable of performing basic operations, signaling a major shift in materials used for electronics.

The findings, published in Nature, mark a significant advancement toward creating thinner, faster, and more energy-efficient electronic systems, the researchers explained. The team developed a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) computer, the core technology found in nearly all modern electronic devices, without using silicon.

Instead, they combined two distinct 2D materials to form the necessary transistors that regulate electric current in CMOS circuits: molybdenum disulfide for the n-type transistors and tungsten diselenide for the p-type transistors.

“Silicon has driven remarkable advances in electronics for decades by enabling continuous miniaturization of field-effect transistors (FETs),” said Saptarshi Das, the Ackley Professor of Engineering and professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, who led the research. FETs control current flow using an electric field, which is produced when a voltage is applied. “However, as silicon devices shrink, their performance begins to degrade. Two-dimensional materials, by contrast, maintain their exceptional electronic properties at atomic thickness, offering a promising path forward.”