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16 November 2025
Silicon Integrated Circuits: The Foundation of Electronics
The name “Silicon Valley” isn’t random. This element has been the primary building block for the electronic circuits found in our computers, smartphones, and countless other devices. The secret lies in its nature as a semiconductor.
Semiconductors are substances that can either conduct electricity or not, depending on external conditions. Engineers use them to build switches called transistors. These components allow us not only to control the flow of current but also its intensity. This capability is exactly why silicon has served as the foundation for electronic circuits for decades. However, that is about to change.
Faster Switches Without Silicon
MIT reports its researchers created a new type of transistor based not on silicon, but on a specially developed magnetic material. Circuits built with this new technique operate faster and potentially allow for the creation of electronic devices even smaller than currently possible.
Why Silicon Needs a Silicon Replacement
Why would scientists want to replace silicon in the first place? After all, the material has performed exceptionally well as the basic building block of electronics for decades. The core issue, however, remains the challenge of device miniaturization.
The electronics we use become smaller every year. When dealing with silicon, there is a physical limit below which a transistor first loses its energy efficiency and then stops working entirely. Consequently, scientists have searched for silicon replacement alternatives for years. They may have just found the one that will finally dethrone silicon from its peak position in the world of electronics.
Magnetism Boosts Performance
The MIT discovery isn’t the first attempt to create a transistor using a magnetic material. Previously, the current flow change achieved by such devices was limited to just a few percent.
The new material, chromium sulfur bromide, amplifies the conducted current up to tenfold. This represents a substantial, noticeable difference that makes this component viable for use in future electronic circuits. The secret lies in the structure of chromium sulfur bromide. The material allows for very smooth switching between two magnetic states. Researchers achieve this using an external magnetic field, which requires significantly less energy than traditional silicon solutions.
The Memory Problem in Transistors Is Solved
But that’s not all. The magnetic properties of the material enable something engineers have dreamed of for years: a transistor with built-in memory. In typical memory storage devices, like a computer’s hard drive or a USB stick, a separate circuit element is needed to store information and a transistor is needed to read it. MIT successfully combined both functions into a single element.
“Now, transistors don’t just turn on and off; they also remember information,” explains Luqiao Liu, one of the discovery’s authors, in the university’s press release. He also points out that the new circuit type transmits information faster.
The Silicon Replacement Is Made with Sticky Tape
Interestingly, the manufacturing process for the new transistor is surprisingly simple. Researchers use adhesive tape to transfer a thin layer of the magnetic material onto a silicon substrate. This method eliminates the risk of surface contamination from solvents or adhesives, which could degrade the device’s performance.
Will We Soon Say Goodbye to Silicon Chips?
The MIT team is now working on the method’s scalability, aiming to produce entire arrays of these magnetic transistors. They are also investigating the possibility of controlling the device exclusively with electric current, without needing magnetic fields. This is crucial because a real-world electronic circuit cannot apply separate magnetic fields to millions of individual transistors.
Will magnetic integrated circuits soon appear in our computers and smartphones? Team members emphasize that the technology has not yet left the laboratory. While the discovery offers considerable hope for the future, there is still a long way to go before actual utilization in the electronics industry and the rise of a “Magnetic Valley.”
Read this article in Polish: Odkrycie MIT zapowiada koniec krzemu. Elektronika stanie się mniejsza
