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Two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, only a few atomic layers thick, are promising materials for making AI chips faster and more energy efficient by stacking additional semiconductor layers on top of existing computing circuits. However, when crystals form at multiple random locations during growth, it is difficult to produce high-quality semiconductors at the desired positions.

A joint KAIST research team has developed a technology that sets in advance where a crystal begins to grow and allows only one crystal to grow at that position. By controlling the starting point of semiconductor growth, the work addresses a key challenge in realizing next-generation stacked semiconductors.

A research team led by Professor Kibum Kang from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, in collaboration with UNIST, Hanyang University and TDS Innovation (co-CEOs Kang and Sanghyun Mo), has developed a new growth technique that precisely controls the location of nucleation, the stage at which 2D semiconductor crystals first form, using chemical species released from an oxide barrier.

When AI generates responses or processes large amounts of data, time and power are consumed not only by computation but also by moving data within the chip.

Stacking the devices used for computation and data storage vertically , so that they are placed close together, shortens the distance that data must travel and can reduce processing delays and power consumption. This requires a technology that forms high-quality semiconductors directly at the required positions on top of circuits that have already been fabricated.

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