silicon's reign threatened: peking university unveils faster, low-power transistor
Beijing, Tuesday, 13 May 2025.
a groundbreaking development from peking university could reshape the future of chip manufacturing. researchers have engineered a silicon-free transistor using bismuth oxyselenide. the new design claims to outperform 3nm chips from industry giants like intel, tsmc and samsung. this gate-all-around (gaafet) transistor boasts 40% faster speeds and consumes 10% less power. its compatibility with existing semiconductor fabrication plants could accelerate adoption and challenge the dominance of silicon.
Bismuth-based breakthrough
The silicon-free transistor, developed by researchers at Peking University, utilizes bismuth oxyselenide [1]. This new transistor features a gate-all-around (GAAFET) design [1]. Unlike traditional FinFETs, the GAAFET design fully envelops the source, leading to enhanced performance [1]. The research team claims their transistor surpasses the performance of existing 3nm chips from leading manufacturers [1]. According to Dr. Li Wei, the lead researcher, the bismuth-based transistor offers significant advantages in both speed and energy efficiency [1].
Performance and power efficiency
The Peking University team reports impressive performance metrics. Their GAAFET transistor achieves 40% faster performance compared to top-tier commercial chips [1]. Simultaneously, it consumes 10% less power [1]. These performance gains stem from using two new bismuth-based compounds: Bi₂O₂Se (semiconductor) and Bi₂SeO₅ (dielectric) [1]. These materials facilitate near-resistance-free electron flow [1]. The research was published in Nature Materials, highlighting the innovative ‘bridge-like’ transistor structure designed to overcome scaling limitations below 3nm [1].
Market implications and competitive landscape
This development poses a potential long-term competitive threat to established chip manufacturers [1]. The transistor’s design is compatible with existing semiconductor fabrication plants [1]. This compatibility lowers the barriers to production and could accelerate market entry [1]. Prototypes of small logic units have already been built [1]. Dr. Chen, an expert in semiconductor physics, suggests this could be a game-changer, potentially disrupting the current dominance of silicon in the chip industry [1]. Investors should closely monitor how Intel, TSMC, and Samsung respond to this emerging technology.
Investor considerations
The announcement may trigger volatility in the stock prices of major semiconductor companies. Companies heavily invested in silicon-based technologies could face downward pressure [alert! ‘speculative, depends on market perception and adoption rate’]. Conversely, companies that quickly adapt to or invest in bismuth-based transistor technology could see their stock value increase [alert! ‘speculative, depends on strategic decisions and market response’]. Investors should also watch for potential partnerships or acquisitions involving Peking University or other entities involved in developing this technology [alert! ‘speculative, based on typical industry behavior after breakthroughs’]. Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks [1].