2D Materials

By Ashley WennersHerron

Silicon is king in the semiconductor technology that underpins smartphones, computers, electric vehicles and more, but its crown may be slipping, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State. In a world first, they used two-dimensional (2D) materials, which are only an atom thick and retain their properties at that scale, unlike silicon, to develop a computer capable of simple operations.

By Jamie Oberdick and Ashley WennersHerron

Newly achieved precise control over light emitted from incredibly tiny sources, a few nanometers in size, embedded in two-dimensional (2D) materials could lead to remarkably high-resolution monitors and advances in ultra-fast quantum computing, according to an international team led by researchers at Penn State and Université Paris-Saclay.

By Jamie Oberdick

Scientists at Penn State have harnessed a unique property called incipient ferroelectricity to create a new type of computer memory that could revolutionize how our devices work, such as using much less energy and being able to work in extreme environments like outer space.

The researchers noted that the societal benefits of this research could be significant. Traditional AI systems, especially those handling image recognition, consume significant energy. The ferroelectric transistors’ low power requirements present a sustainable alternative.

By Jamie Oberdick

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mingyu Yu, doctoral candidate in materials science and engineering at Penn State, recently received the Graduate Student Research Award from the professional society AVS: Science and Technology of Materials, Interfaces and Processing for innovative research in two-dimensional materials. 

By Jamie Oberdick

The microelectronics industry is nearing a tipping point. The silicon chips at the heart of everyday electronic devices are running into performance limits, raising the need for new materials and technologies to continue making faster, more efficient devices.  

By Ashley WennersHerron

A recently developed electronic tongue is capable of identifying differences in similar liquids, such as milk with varying water content; diverse products, including soda types and coffee blends; signs of spoilage in fruit juices; and instances of food safety concerns. The team, led by researchers at Penn State, also found that results were even more accurate when artificial intelligence (AI) used its own assessment parameters to interpret the data generated by the electronic tongue.

By Adrienne Berard

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today (Sept. 4) that it will continue to support Penn State’s Center for Three-Dimensional Ferroelectric Microelectronics Manufacturing (3DFeM) as an Energy Frontier Research Center.

By Jamie Oberdick

Transition metal carbides (TMCs) and transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are emerging as key players with transformative potential across various industries. Originally recognized for their industrial applications like solid-state lubrication, these materials are now the focus of cutting-edge research aimed at revolutionizing electronic devices and catalytic processes.