Smaller, faster, smarter: Chinese transistor ready for future AI chips

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.