25-05-2025
Organic Molecule Breakthrough Could Replace Silicon in Next-Gen Chips
A team of scientists at the University of Miami, working in collaboration with professors from the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Rochester, has developed a groundbreaking organic molecule that could revolutionize the semiconductor and chip-making industries. The newly engineered compound has the potential to replace silicon—traditionally sourced from sand—and metals, which currently form the backbone of modern computer chip manufacturing.
According to a statement released by the university, the researchers have unveiled what they believe to be "the most electrically conductive organic molecule ever discovered." The findings open the door to building smaller, more powerful computing devices using naturally abundant elements such as carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen.
For the past five decades, the number of transistors on a single chip has roughly doubled every two years, in line with Moore's Law. However, as silicon-based electronics approach their physical limits, further miniaturization using conventional methods has become increasingly difficult. That challenge spurred the research led by physicist Kun Wang and his team at the University of Miami, who focused on utilizing ultra-small molecular structures to conduct electricity efficiently.
'To date, no molecular material has allowed electrons to pass through it without a significant loss in conductivity,' Wang said. 'Our work is the first to demonstrate that organic molecules can support electron transport across several tens of nanometers with virtually no energy loss.'
Wang added that the molecules developed by the team are stable under ambient conditions and exhibit the highest known electrical conductance over molecular lengths previously deemed impractical. This breakthrough could lead to the creation of classical computing devices that are not only smaller and more energy-efficient but also cheaper to produce.
Unlike conventional molecules, whose conductivity typically decreases with size, these new 'molecular wires' defy that trend. They serve as crucial pathways for transferring, processing, and storing information in the next generation of electronic devices.
'What makes our molecular system unique is that electrons travel across it like a bullet—without any energy loss—making it theoretically the most efficient form of electron transport known in any material,' Wang explained. 'Beyond shrinking device size, this structure also allows for functionalities that were not possible with silicon-based components.'
**Chemically Robust and Air-Stable**
Mehrdad Shiri, a graduate researcher and member of the team, described the development as a major leap toward real-world application. 'This molecule is chemically robust and air-stable, which means it can be integrated with existing nanoelectronic components on a chip, functioning as electronic wires or interconnects between circuits,' he said.
Another major advantage is cost: the molecule can be synthesized in a laboratory using inexpensive materials, making it a highly scalable and affordable solution. Its unique properties could enable a new class of computing devices that are more powerful and energy-efficient without raising manufacturing costs.
Wang concluded that the molecule's ultra-high conductivity stems from a unique interaction between electron spins at both ends of the molecule. He added, 'In the future, this molecular system could even be used as a qubit—the fundamental unit of quantum computing.'
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