Semiconductors are the fundamental building blocks of almost all modern electronics, powering everything from smartphones and computers to electric vehicles, AI systems, and industrial equipment.
They are the core technology behind integrated circuits (IC), also known as chips, enabling the creation of faster, smaller, and more efficient devices.
As for what semiconductors are, they are materials having electrical conductivity between conductors and insulators. Silicon (Si), Germanium (Ge), and Gallium arsenide (GaAs) are some examples.
They allow electrical currents to pass depending on factors like the surrounding temperature or the magnetic field they are subjected to. The conductivity of semiconductors can be adjusted through a process called doping, where impurities are added to them.
Besides being the basis of ICs, semiconductors’ applications include transistors, which are used for switching and amplification in electronic circuits. Semiconductors are also used in solar panels to convert sunlight into electricity as well as diodes which allow current to flow in one direction.
The Shift Toward Layered Semiconductor Architectures
As semiconductors continue to evolve, organic-inorganic hybrid semiconductors are gaining a lot of interest due to their high solar cell efficiency and applications for light-emitting diodes (LEDs). They combine the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of organic materials with inorganic materials’ electronic properties in one material.
These layered semiconductors, having a structure of distinct layers of organic and inorganic components that can be arranged for unique properties and functionalities, present next-generation materials for use in high-performance optoelectronic devices.
In the realm of layered semiconductors, a few years ago, the Australian National University researchers demonstrated a novel ‘sandwich-style’ fabrication process to achieve ultra-low energy electronics based on the light-matter hybrid particles exciton-polaritons.
Here, a one-atom-thin semiconductor was placed between two mirrors that showed robust, dissipationless, long-range propagation of an exciton (an electron bound to a hole) mixed with light bouncing between parallel mirrors.
The ‘sandwich-style’ fabrication process for high-quality optical microcavity minimized damage to the atomically thin semiconductor while maximizing the interaction between the excitons and the photons.
The atomically-thin material wasn’t the important thing here, though; rather, the key was the construction of the microcavity. And it was built by stacking the components one by one with the bottom mirror first then a semiconductor layer and finally a mirror on the top. The top structure, however, was fabricated separately to avoid damaging the atomically-thin semiconductor and maintain its excitons’ properties.
While this study focused on light-matter interactions in ultra-thin semiconductors, other research teams are pushing hybrid materials in the direction of memory storage.
Hybrid ZnTe Semiconductor Reveals Advanced Memory Capabilities
Among layered semiconductors, β-ZnTe(en)₀.₅, in particular, has been getting special attention due to its superior structural order as well as longer stability than most.
Here, incorporating the organic material layer enables adjustable optical properties, modifications to the band structure, and an increased exciton binding energy.
So, researchers from the Washington State University along with those from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte came up with a layered material1 that can dramatically change its shape when put under pressure, demonstrating its ability to help computers store more data using less energy.
The material is based on hybrid zinc telluride (ZnTe) that the study showed going through amazing structural changes when squished together.
Zinc telluride is a semiconductor material with a direct band gap of about 2.26 eV. Its direct band gap allows for efficient light emission and absorption, making ZnTe suitable for optoelectronic applications including solar cells, photodetectors, and LEDs as well as in lithium-ion batteries, laser diodes, microwave generators, and high-speed electronic devices.
The structural changes the hybrid ZnTe-based material went through in the latest study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, makes it a promising candidate for phase change memory (PCM).
PCM is a type of non-volatile random-access memory (RAM) that works differently than the memory found in our devices. It is ultra-fast and long-lasting data storage that doesn’t need a constant power source.
This memory type stores takes advantage of the changes in the phase of a material, between amorphous and crystalline stages. This phase change affects the electrical resistance of the material, allowing the data to be stored and retrieved.
As per the study, much like In2Se3 (Indium(III) selenide), which undergoes phase changes at moderate pressures, multiple phases of ZnTe(en)₀.₅ can also be utilized in memory devices.
In2Se3 and Indium selenide (InSe) are layered semiconductor materials that exhibit a variety of crystal structures and phases.
An interesting study from late last year actually discovered an energy-efficient method for converting crystals into glass, presenting a highly efficient solution for devices that use PCM.
PCM currently depends on a highly energy-intensive process, which involves heating crystals above 800°C with lasers or electric pulses followed by rapid cooling. The study, conducted by researchers from the IISc, UPenn, and MIT, revealed that Indium Selenide enables the transition of solid to glass through internal “self-shocks,” so there’s no need for high temperatures.
What happens here is when an electric current is applied to the thin, layered structure of Indium Selenide, the layers slide in different directions, creating areas where atoms align in specific patterns separated by boundaries, which act like tectonic plates, and when they collide, they produce small mechanical and electrical shocks.
Each of these shocks disturbs the crystal structure, in turn creating small patches that transform into glass, which ultimately spread to the whole material.
“PCM research had slowed due to the challenge of finding suitable materials. But now, the 2D structure and unique properties of Indium Selenide have converged to create this ultra-low energy pathway for amorphisation via shocks,” said co-author Pavan Nukala, who added that they “are pushing to integrate these devices onto CMOS platforms.”
Click here to learn if organic semiconductors combine the benefits of graphene & silicon.
Dramatic Pressure-Induced Structural Transformations
In the latest study, the material fabricated is called β-ZnTe(en)₀.₅ and it is made up of alternating layers of zinc telluride.
Along with alternating layers of two-monolayer-thick ZnTe, the team used ethylenediamine (en=C2N2H8) as the organic molecule. It is a compound used as a building block for the production of chemical products. As a contact sensitizer, it is capable of producing both local and generalized reactions.
Comparing the structure of the material to that of a sandwich, the study co-author Matt McCluskey, who’s a professor of physics at WSU, noted:
“Imagine layers of ceramic and plastic stacked over and over. When you apply pressure, the soft parts collapse more than the stiff ones.”
To apply the pressure, they used a diamond anvil cell (DAC), a high-pressure device used in materials science and engineering experiments to study materials under extreme conditions. DAC allows for a tiny sample to be squeezed to extreme pressures.
So, the team used DAC to apply extreme pressure and then observed the changes in the material using the X-ray system.
The X-ray diffraction (XRD) system was actually what made the research possible, which was acquired a few years ago for over $1 million with the help of the Murdock Charitable Trust.
XRD is a laboratory technique which uses X-rays to reveal structural information such as crystal structure and chemical composition of materials. This powerful method allowed researchers to observe tiny structural changes in the material as they happened.
While these kinds of experiments tend to happen at national facilities like the Advanced Light Source at Berkeley National Laboratory in California, requiring a lot of time, thanks to the specialized equipment, the researchers were able to do it all, right at WSU’s Pullman campus and that’s what makes it “that much more exciting.”
“Being able to do these high-pressure experiments on campus gave us the flexibility to really dig into what was happening. We discovered that the material didn’t just compress — it actually changed its internal structure in a big way.”
– McCluskey
The observation revealed that the material went through two phase changes at low pressures of 2.1 and 3.3 gigapascals (GPa). The change in material structure was dramatic in both the cases, experiencing a shrinkage of as much as 8%.
The changes observed in XRD were then verified with fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, a technique used to obtain an infrared spectrum of emission or absorption of a solid, liquid, or gas. It also demonstrated changes in the vibrational modes at both phase transition pressures.
Potential Future Applications
A phase transition of a material refers to changes in its structure at the atomic level as a result of change in external conditions like pressure or temperature. In this study, the changes occurred between two solid states, where the atoms rearranged into a denser configuration.
Such transitions can significantly change certain properties of the materials, such as how they emit light or conduct electricity.
With different structural phases generally having different optical and electrical characteristics, they are believed to be useful in encoding digital information, which is the basis of the phase-change memory.
The transitions for β-ZnTe(en)₀.₅, according to the study, occurred at pressures considerably lower than the lowest reported phase change for pure zinc telluride.
According to Miller:
“Most materials like this need huge amounts of pressure to change the structure, but this one started transforming at a tenth of the pressure we usually see in pure zinc telluride. That’s what makes this material so interesting — it’s showing big effects at much lower pressures.”
But that is not all. The study findings suggest a high anisotropic pressure response of the material, which means the property varies in magnitude in different directions, with the organic layer being highly reactive to pressure changes.
Combining the directional sensitivity, where the direction in which the material is squeezed changes its behavior, with the layered structure makes the material even more tunable, opening the door to additional cases such as photonics, where light is used to move and store information.
The material actually emits ultraviolet light, and researchers think that its glow may also shift depending on its phase. This capability can make β-ZnTe(en)₀.₅ useful in fiber optics or optical computing.
While showcasing huge potential as a commercial memory material, β-ZnTe(en)₀.₅ is still very early in its development stage as Miller states:
“We’re just beginning to understand what these hybrid materials can do.”
The team’s next step in the study is to learn about how the material responds to temperature changes and then investigate just what happens when both heat and pressure are applied to the material. This way, the researchers will build a more complete map of the material’s β-ZnTe(en)₀ behaviors and possibilities.
Investing in Semiconductors
In the world of semiconductor, the $2.8 trillion market cap NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA -0.59%) is the biggest name, which dominates AI and GPU technologies. Other prominent players in the field include the $90 bln legacy chipmaker Intel Corporation (INTC -1.7%), which is expanding into AI and advanced memory and $160 bln Advanced Micro Devices (AMD +1.81%), which explores emerging semiconductor tech.
But today, we’ll be taking a deeper look at Micron (MU -0.37%), which specializes in memory and storage, including phase change memory (PCM). With memory and storage becoming the bottlenecks in modern computing, Micron stands out as one of the few companies tackling this challenge head-on. And as demand surges from AI, cloud infrastructure, and edge devices, Micron’s leadership in both DRAM and NAND, along with its work on next-gen tech like phase change memory, makes it a critical player to watch in the semiconductor space.
Micron Technology (MU -0.37%)
The memory and storage solutions provider delivers a portfolio of high-performance DRAM, NAND, and NOR products.
It operates via Compute and Networking Business Unit (CNBU), which provides solutions for data center, graphics, PC, and networking markets, Mobile Business Unit (MBU) caters to smartphone and other mobile device markets, Embedded Business Unit (EBU), which serves the the industrial, automotive, and consumer embedded markets, and Storage Business Unit (SBU), which includes SSDs and component-level storage solutions.
The company is the first one to ship HBM3E and SOCAMM memory solutions globally for AI servers in collaboration with NVIDIA.
Micron Technology, Inc. (MU -0.37%)
Micron has a market cap of $90.2 bln with its shares trading at $79.55, down only about 4% YTD. Its EPS (TTM) is 4.14, the P/E (TTM) is 19.51, and the dividend yield offered is a mere 0.57%.
In March, the company announced the financial results for its Q2 of fiscal 2025, which ended February 27, 2025, revealing a revenue of $8.05 billion, down from $8.71 billion in the prior quarter but up from $5.82 billion in the same period last year.
GAAP net income was $1.58 billion, or $1.41 per diluted share while Non-GAAP net income was $1.78 billion, or $1.56 per diluted share. Operating cash flow for the period came in at $3.94 billion.
“Micron delivered fiscal Q2 EPS above guidance and data center revenue tripled from a year ago,” said CEO Sanjay Mehrotra who noted the launch of 1-gamma DRAM node extending the company’s technology leadership. In Q3, Micron is expecting to hit “record quarterly revenue… with DRAM and NAND demand growth in both data center and consumer-oriented markets.”
Conclusion
As the backbone of modern electronics, semiconductors are critical to technological advancements. It is through innovation in semiconductor technology that have led to new and better products as well as breakthroughs in everything from smartphones to AI systems.
Against the backdrop, the new research marks a major shift by extending beyond traditional silicon-based architectures to layered organic-inorganic hybrids. The discovery of the material’s unique ability to undergo phase transitions at low pressures with structural tunability introduces a new frontier for materials in optoelectronics and makes β-ZnTe(en)₀.₅ a promising candidate for energy-efficient, high-performance memory technologies.
Further exploration under varying thermal conditions could even open completely new applications for the material in optical computing, fiber optics, and low-power data storage, marking an exciting chapter in the ongoing semiconductor revolution.
Click here for a list of top semi-conductor equipment stocks.
Studies Referenced:
1. Miller, J. C., Wang, Y., Zhang, Y., Schmedake, T. A., & McCluskey, M. D. (2025). Phase transitions of β-ZnTe(en)₀.₅ under hydrostatic pressure. AIP Advances, 15(4), 045308. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0266352