Chinese scientists develop ‘fastest transistor ever’—without silicon
As global chipmakers race toward 3-nanometer tech, Chinese researchers unveil groundbreaking, silicon-free transistor that’s faster, more efficient and locally manufacturable
Chinese scientists have developed what they call “the fastest, most efficient transistor ever”— and it contains no silicon at all. Built using ultra-thin sheets of bismuth, the new transistor outperforms the best silicon-based processors produced by leading manufacturers such as Intel and TSMC — the same Taiwan-based company that builds chips for Apple.
The groundbreaking development, published by Nature Materials in February, represents a radical departure from current chip design. Instead of trying to improve existing technologies, the team led by Prof. Peng Hailin at Peking University chose an entirely novel path.
“If chip innovations based on existing materials are considered a ‘short cut’, then our development of 2D material-based transistors is akin to ‘changing lanes’,” Peng told the South China Morning Post.
A shift from ‘fins’ to ‘bridges’
To understand the significance of the breakthrough, it’s crucial to consider what it replaces. Since the early 1990s, most transistors — the tiny switches that drive everything from smartphones to supercomputers — have relied on silicon and a structure known as the Fin Field-Effect Transistor, or FinFET. These vertical, skyscraper-like structures provide better control over electric current at the nanoscale.
But FinFETs are reaching their physical limits. As chip sizes shrink below 3 nanometers, engineers face mounting challenges in improving performance while keeping power consumption in check. So instead of shrinking the old design, Peng and his team abandoned it entirely.
The new transistor uses a 2D gate-all-around field-effect transistor (GAAFET). Unlike FinFETs, which wrap the gate around three sides of the transistor’s channel, GAAFETs surround it on all four sides. This provides better current control and drastically reduces energy loss. Yet the real breakthrough lies not in the structure, but in the materials used.
Bismuth beats silicon
Rather than silicon, the researchers used bismuth oxychalcogenide for the transistor’s channel and bismuth selenide oxide for the gate material. These belong to a class of atomically thin materials known as two-dimensional semiconductors, which have extraordinary electrical properties.
Bismuth oxychalcogenide, in particular, offers advantages that silicon struggles with at extremely small scales. Electrons move faster through it, even when tightly packed, and it has a higher dielectric constant, meaning it can hold and control electric charge more efficiently. That translates into faster switching, lower energy loss and less heat generation.
“This reduces electron scattering and current loss, allowing electrons to flow with almost no resistance, akin to water moving through a smooth pipe,” Peng explained. In practical terms: less friction, less heat and more performance for less power — a dream for any smartphone user.
Up to 40% faster with 10% less energy
The lab results are striking. According to the research team, their transistor can operate up to 40% faster than today’s most advanced 3-nanometer silicon chips, while using 10% less energy.
The motivation behind the innovation is not just technical, but geopolitical. As a result of ongoing U.S. sanctions, Chinese firms are unable to purchase the cutting-edge equipment required to manufacture advanced silicon chips. The most sophisticated lithography machines, essential for producing 3-nanometer chips, are made by a handful of Western companies such as ASML in the Netherlands.
