Researchers at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne’s Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES), Switzerland, have published a study showing that smaller and more energy-efficient electronic chips could be made using molybdenite, an abundant mineral that is often used in steel alloys or as an additive in lubricants. The material has distinct advantages over traditional silicon or graphene, but has not yet been extensively studied for use in electronics. Andras Kis, a professor at EPFL, said “[I]t’s a two-dimensional material, very thin and easy to use in nanotechnology. It has real potential in the fabrication of very small transistors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and solar cells.” Molybdenite has a number of advantages over silicon in that it is less voluminous, and it can be used to make transistors that consume 100,000 times less energy in standby state than traditional silicon transistors. The article can be viewed online at the link below.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110130194145.htm