China has begun mass production of next-generation processors based on molybdenum disulfide instead of traditional silicon semiconductors[1]. According to Professor Li Hongge’s team at Beihang University, these chips merge binary and stochastic logic to achieve better fault tolerance and power efficiency for applications like touch displays and flight systems[2].
The breakthrough came through developing a Hybrid Stochastic Number (HSN) system that combines traditional binary with probability-based numbers[2:1]. This innovation helps overcome two major challenges in chip technology - the power wall from binary systems’ high energy consumption, and the architecture wall that makes new non-silicon chips difficult to integrate with conventional systems[2:2].
Yes gallim arsenid transistors wold be about 10 times faster. But also about 100 times more expensive.
(Numbers pulled out of my ass.)
The cost invariably goes down as production of any new technology ramps up though.
The problrm is that this is already calulated st scale.
Silicon isn’t the best material for semiconductors, it never was. What makes silicon special is that it is the cheapest material for semiconductors.
So unless there is some kind of scientific breakthrough with one of the other semiconductor materials, this equation will not change.