According to reports, a research team at Tsinghua University has confirmed in a breakthrough experiment that two-dimensional semiconductor materials can withstand the extreme environment of space. The team, led by Professor Ruitao Lu from the School of Materials Science and Engineering, used China's reusable returnable satellite, Shijian-19, to launch two-dimensional materials and field-effect transistors (FETs) into predetermined orbits. After 14 days in space, the materials returned to Earth and exhibited remarkable stability despite exposure to radiation, microgravity, and high and low temperatures. The findings, published in the National Science Review, highlight the adaptability of 2D TMDCs in extreme environments and provide a solid foundation for future space electronics research.
What are 2D semiconductor materials?
Two-dimensional semiconductor materials, from the perspective of dimensional characteristics, are materials that are at least one dimension at the atomic scale (usually a few nanometers or even less than 1 nanometer) in the three dimensions of length, width and height. Compared to traditional 3D materials, it is unique in that the surface has saturated bonds, presenting a near-perfect "atomic-polished" interface. When a three-dimensional material represented by silicon is made into a single or very thin layer, the silicon atoms on the surface will form bonds with other atoms, such as combining with oxygen atoms to form silicon oxide, and then lose the original semiconductor properties of silicon. Two-dimensional semiconductor materials, on the other hand, can still maintain semiconductor properties at atomic thicknesses. For example, graphene, as the first two-dimensional material to be discovered, has a thickness of only 0.335 nanometers, although it was difficult to be directly applied to the semiconductor field because it was not band gap at first, but it opened the door to the research of two-dimensional materials. Many two-dimensional semiconductor materials, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and tungsten disulfide (WS₂), have unique band structure and electrical properties, and have suitable band gaps, which can meet the requirements of effective switching current of transistors.
Development status: scientific research breakthroughs and industrialization explorations go hand in hand
Scientific research progress
At the academic research level, many key breakthroughs have been made in the field of two-dimensional semiconductor materials. For example, the team of Zhou Peng and Bao Wenzhong of Fudan University and Shaoxin Laboratory has successfully developed the world's first 32-bit RISC-V architecture microprocessor based on two-dimensional semiconductor materials (single-layer molybdenum disulfide), which has realized the independent research and development of the whole chain from materials, architecture to tape-out, and the degree of integration process optimization and large-scale circuit verification results have reached the best level in the same period in the world. In addition, teams from Nanjing University, Institute of Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Peking University and Fudan University have all produced positive results in the study of wafer-level 2D material growth. At the same time, a research team composed of researchers from Tianjin University in China and Georgia Institute of Technology in the United States has successfully produced a graphene monolayer of epitaxial semiconductors through a special furnace growth method on silicon carbide wafers, overcoming the problem of opening the band gap that has long hindered the development of graphene electronics. The European Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) has clearly identified 2D semiconductors as an important material system for 1nm and below, and the International Integrated Circuit Summit also proposed in June 2022 that 2D semiconductors are currently the only materials in the industry that can be recognized as a continuation of Moore's Law. This series of scientific research achievements has laid a solid foundation for the practical application of two-dimensional semiconductor materials.
Figure: 2D semiconductor materials enter space
Industrialization process
Although the road to industrialization is full of challenges, it is also steadily advancing. At present, industry giants such as TSMC, Samsung, and ASML have begun to focus on the research and development of 2D semiconductors as an alternative to silicon after the 3-5nm node. However, there are still many obstacles to moving from the laboratory to large-scale commercial production. Taking the "Wuji" microprocessor as an example, the team emphasized that it is only a proof-of-concept prototype, and the overall performance is not far from the current commercial chips, and it does not have a market advantage. In terms of production process, although 2D semiconductors theoretically have the advantages of reducing power consumption, streamlining process steps and reducing manufacturing costs, the problems of process stability and yield improvement in the actual large-scale production process still need to be solved.
Market Analysis: The potential is huge, the prospects are bright but the road is tortuous
Market size and growth expectations
As the demand for high-performance, low-power semiconductors continues to rise, especially driven by emerging fields such as 5G communications, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things, the 2D semiconductor materials market has great growth potential. Although the current 2D semiconductor materials market is relatively small and in the early stages of development, it is expected to usher in significant growth in the coming years in the long run. Some market research institutions predict that with the maturity of technology and the advancement of industrialization, the market size of 2D semiconductor materials will achieve rapid expansion in the next few years.
App Marketplace
The application prospects of two-dimensional semiconductor materials are extremely broad. In the aerospace field, its low power consumption and high performance make it an ideal choice for the manufacture of spacecraft electronic equipment, helping to improve the operational efficiency of spacecraft and reduce energy consumption. In 5G communication base stations, 2D semiconductor devices can enhance the performance of communication networks by increasing signal processing speed and reducing power consumption. In IoT devices, 2D semiconductor materials can make devices more miniaturized and have low power consumption, meeting the needs of massive device connectivity. In the field of wearable devices, its thin, lightweight, and high-performance characteristics can also bring more room for innovation in product design. However, to achieve these widespread applications, it is necessary to overcome technical bottlenecks and reduce costs in order to improve the market competitiveness of products.
