A transistor made of silicene, the world's thinnest silicon, became the first creation of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering.

Silicene is considered outstanding because it's made of a one-atom-thick layer of silicon atoms. Its electrical properties were believed to be too difficult and deal with until the recent study.

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"Apart from introducing a new player in the playground of 2-D materials, silicene, with its close chemical affinity to silicon, suggests an opportunity in the road map of the semiconductor industry," said Deji Akiwande, assistant professor in the Cockrell School's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Akiwande said that the new development is all about efficient low-temperature manufacturing and fabrication of silicene devices for the first time. But it would be too difficult once used in the real word because silicene is extremely and unstable once exposed to air.

Researchers developed a method of how to lessen siliene's exposure to air. The method starts with hot vapor silicon atoms that will turn into a crystalline block of silver in a vacuum chamber. The silicene will then form into a thin layer of silver and will be combined with a nanometer-thick layer of alumina.

The result of the method will help scientist easily peel off of the base and transfer it to an oxidized-silicon substrate since there is a protective layer to guide them.

Researchers still plan to develop and continue to investigate the new structure, as well as the method that will lead to producing low-energy and high-speed digital computer chips.

TagsSuper-Fast Computers, One-Atom-Thick Silicon Transistor, silicon, silicene, atom, Chemistry