Have the researchers found the best semiconductor of all?
A research team says cubic boron arsenide is the best semiconductor material ever discovered, and possibly the best. Credit: Christine Daniloff/MIT Silicon is one of the most abundant elements on Earth, and in its pure form, it has been the basis of many modern technologies, from solar cells to computer chips. But silicon’s properties as a semiconductor are far from ideal. For one thing, while silicon allows electrons to penetrate its structure easily, it is far less accommodating of “holes”—the positively charged counterparts of electrons—and making use of both is important for some types of chips. What’s more, silicon is not very good at conducting heat, which is why overheating problems and expensive cooling systems are common in computers. Now, a team of researchers at MIT, the University of Houston, and other institutions has conducted experiments showing that a material known as cubic boron ar