Could Black Phosphorus be the Next Silicon?

As scientists continue to hunt for a material that will make it possible to pack more transistors on a chip, new research from McGill University and Université de Montréal adds to evidence that black phosphorus could emerge as a strong candidate. In a recent study, researchers reported that when electrons move in a phosphorus transistor, they do so only in two dimensions. This finding suggests that black phosphorus could help engineers surmount one of the big challenges for future electronics – designing energy-efficient transistors.