Rising demand for high-performance, energy-efficient chips, driven by AI and large language models, is pushing existing semiconductor technology close to its limits.

As transistors, the tiny switches that power chips, shrink to near-atomic sizes, engineers face increasing challenges such as heat buildup, manufacturing constraints, and quantum effects that can disrupt performance.

To address these limits, researchers are exploring alternative materials, including so-called 2D semiconductors, which are only a few atoms thick and could deliver faster performance while using less energy, according to Interesting Engineering.

These materials can be adjusted to carry electrical signals in different ways by adding small amounts of other elements, creating two essential types: n-type and p-type materials. Modern chips require both types to work together to form transistors.

While stable and high-performing n-type materials already exist, reliable p-type materials remain difficult to produce, creating a bottleneck for further development.

Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken Feb. 25, 2022. Photo by Reuters

To tackle this issue, a team led by Zhu Mengjian of the National University of Defence Technology, along with Ren Wencai and Xu Chuan from the Institute of Metal Research under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, developed a new production method, according to the South China Morning Post.

The researchers modified an existing manufacturing technique by introducing a gold and tungsten base layer, enabling the growth of large sheets of 2D material with controllable electrical properties.

In a study published March 26 in the journal National Science Review, the team said the method increased production speed from extremely slow rates to about 20 micrometers per minute, roughly 1,000 times faster than previously reported.

The material also demonstrated strong electrical performance, durability, and the ability to handle heat, all of which are essential for advanced chip applications.

The researchers said the breakthrough could accelerate efforts to bring 2D semiconductor materials into large-scale manufacturing, particularly in widely used chip designs across the electronics industry.