Silicon may no longer be the go-to material used in electronics, if two recently discovered materials are implemented. Electrical engineers at Stanford recently observed that two semiconductors — hafnium diselenide and zirconium diselenide, two forms of the same inorganic compound — share similar qualities with silicon, but outperformed the material in other aspects.
A study published in the journal Science Advances explains the finding. Co-authored by Eric Pop, an associate professor of electrical engineering, with post-doctoral scholar Michal Mleczko, the report places the biggest emphasis on how all three materials cause rust.
It’s the same kind of rust that’s usually deemed harmful to metals and other materials, but within the context of electronics and circuitry, it’s actually a good thing: when silicon is exposed to oxygen, it rusts and becomes an insulator for circuitry, protecting it from harm. Other materials can be used to achieve the same effect, but they require additional work and layers of insulation, making silicon the preferred material to use.
Hafnium diselenide and zirconium diselenide both rust in a similar way to silicon, but their benefits go beyond this. They’re able to form what are known as “high-k” insulators, which ultimately require less power than silicon and silicon oxide insulators.
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