A team of Chinese scientists has unveiled the world’s smallest and most energy-efficient transistor in a breakthrough poised to anchor the next generation of high-performance AI hardware.
The researchers achieved the feat in ferroelectric transistors (FeFETs), which function similarly to neurons in the human brain as they integrate memory and processing in a single unit, thereby reducing the time lost in data transfer.
In conventional semiconductor chips , data storage and computation occur in separate areas, creating efficiency bottlenecks for communication “across the wall”.
According to Qiu Chenguang of Peking University , the “in-memory computing capability of FeFETs aligns closely with the future evolution of AI chips”.
“The industry views them as one of the most promising devices for enabling brain-inspired neuromorphic computing,” Qiu told Science and Technology Daily, the official ministry newspaper.
Qiu, with Peng Lianmao, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences , led the team that developed the world’s smallest and most energy-efficient ferroelectric transistor. Their work was published this month in the peer-reviewed journal Science Advances.