A 1950s material just set a modern record for lightning-fast chips
> Record-breaking germanium-on-silicon tech promises faster, cooler,
> next-gen electronics and quantum devices.
> Date:
> December 5, 2025
> Source:
> University of Warwick
> Summary:
> Researchers engineered a strained germanium layer on silicon that allows
> charge to move faster than in any silicon-compatible material to date.
> This record mobility could lead to chips that run cooler, faster, and
> with dramatically lower energy consumption.
> The discovery also enhances the prospects for silicon-based quantum devices. >
> Link:
>formatting link
That large an increase in hole mobility is a big deal, at least if it makes it into real devices. PFETs are slow because of hole mobility. III-IV systems have fast electrons, but their holes are slower than in silicon.
So fast holes in a scalable Si-Ge process might allow true SiGe CMOS, which would be huge.
Cheers
Phil Hobbs
> I just wonder how do you compress all those layers?
>
>