A new material could allow conventional electronic devices to perform quicker and consume less energy.
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Reporting in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, scientists from the University of Edinburgh demonstrate their novel material, which could serve as a highly effective semiconductor, a critical component of modern electrical devices.
According to the scientists, using the novel semiconductor in electronics like computer processors and medical imaging equipment might improve their efficiency.
The material, which is created by mixing the chemical elements germanium and tin, can absorb and emit light more effectively than silicon-based semiconductors.
The team believes that it works by making it easier to convert light into electrical energy and vice versa, which is essential for the operation of optoelectronic devices.
Previous studies had shown that the germanium-tin alloy may operate as an effective semiconductor for converting light to and from electrical energy, but creating it proved difficult.
This is due in part to the elements' inability to chemically combine with one another under normal circumstances.
Now, a team led by Edinburgh academics has developed an altogether new class of germanium-tin semiconductors.
The method entails heating mixtures of germanium and tin to over 1200 degrees Celsius while applying pressures up to 10 gigapascals, approximately 100 times the pressure at the bottom of the Mariana Trench, the deepest point in the ocean.
The procedure creates stable germanium-tin alloys at room temperature and pressure, which might be used as semiconductors, according to the scientists.
This work opens up fertile avenues for new materials design through our newly defined in-concert route of creating reactivity and directing recovery of materials with desired crystal structure. This is demonstrated here towards addressing the growing power demand of electronic devices and data centers that need innovative paths to new materials that could boost energy efficiency by using light.
Dr. George Serghiou, School of Engineering, The University of Edinburgh
Journal Reference:
Serghiou, G., et.al. (2026) High Pressure and Compositionally Directed Route to a Hexagonal GeSn Alloy Class. Journal of the American Chemical Society. DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5c11716.