New zinc oxide-tellurium semiconductor device could simplify future chips by cutting several transistors with a single multitasking component.
Chipmakers face a difficult balancing act. Consumers want smarter devices with faster AI features, but they also expect gadgets to stay small, cool, and energy-efficient.
Engineers now pack more computing power into watches, earbuds, and compact sensors than entire computers handled decades ago. A research team in South Korea believes it has found a way to ease that pressure. Scientists at POSTECH, or Pohang University of Science and Technology, developed a semiconductor device that can perform several circuit operations on its own. The design could simplify future chips while delivering faster processing speeds for AI-driven electronics.
The project focused on reducing the number of components modern chips require. Most semiconductor systems divide computing tasks across many transistors and circuits. As devices become more advanced, that complexity keeps growing. Professor Byoung Hun Lee and Dr. Jae Hyeon Jun led the research team behind the new approach.
Instead of adding more components, the researchers redesigned the transistor itself to handle multiple functions simultaneously. The team used zinc oxide and tellurium to create the device. Both materials can form thin semiconductor films at relatively low temperatures. That feature gives manufacturers more flexibility when stacking additional circuitry onto existing chips.
Modern semiconductor production limits heat exposure during later manufacturing stages because excessive temperatures can damage previously built structures. Materials that work below roughly 392 degrees Fahrenheit could therefore become valuable for next-generation chip packaging. Researchers engineered the transistor to create negative differential transconductance, or NDT. In that state, current temporarily drops even as voltage continues increasing.
The team then achieved a double-NDT effect, where the current drop happens twice inside the same device. That unusual behavior gives the transistor greater signal-processing flexibility. The effect depends on how much the zinc oxide and tellurium layers overlap inside the structure. A smaller overlap produces one current transition.
A larger overlap creates both sideways and vertical current movement at the same time. That interaction generates two current peaks and allows the transistor to handle more advanced circuit functions alone. To demonstrate the design, researchers built a frequency quadrupler. The circuit converts one incoming signal into four output signals.
TraditionalThe POSTECH design completed the task using a single transistor. Researchers said the approach reduced transistor requirements by 75%. Circuit testing also showed data processing speeds increased fourfold during a single signal cycle. The researchers believe the technology could help power compact AI hardware, wearable electronics, and densely packed three-dimensional chip systems.
“This study demonstrates the possibility of implementing complex circuit functions at the level of a single device,” Lee said. South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea funded the research. The study is published in the journalAamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire.
With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.
Please follow us on Google to support us Chip Design POSTECH Semiconductor Technology Semiconductors South Korea Tellurium Transistor Zinc Oxide
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Love Island 2026: New Series Brings New Twists and TurnsThe new series of Love Island has brought a new batch of sexy singletons to the villa, and with them, a new set of challenges and twists. The Islanders will have to navigate the competition and find love in a villa full of attractive singles.
Read more »
11 Best New Dollar Tree New Arrivals Hitting Shelves in June — Best Life11 Best New Dollar Tree New Arrivals Hitting Shelves in June
Read more »
New York Democrats take first step toward drawing new congressional lines ahead of 2028Amid the national redistricting war, New York lawmakers gave preliminary approval to a constitutional amendment that would provide them with more map-drawing power.
Read more »
Dexter Wansel, Grammy-winning coproducer and Sound of Philly music icon, has died at 75He worked for Philadelphia International Records in the 1970s and '80s, and collaborated with the Jacksons, the Jones Girls, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, Phyliss Hyman, and many other artists.
Read more »