New semiconductors have been developed in China and now weapons will become "smarter" than American

This material is crucial for the development of advanced electronics, in particular, used for military use, writes Interesting Engineering. The team found that the problem is associated with dislocation defects that disrupt the crystalline structure, which leads to leakage and decreased productivity. Defects appear because GAN has a hexagonal atomic structure, which distinguishes it from the cubic structure of silicon.

This is not the same as silicon defects that are usually caused by sliding (motion along the plane) that the industry has learned to control. GAN defects are caused by climbing (changes in local atoms) - a process that has still been poorly studied. The team of Chinese scientists made its discovery through the use of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Thanks to technology, they first observed the dislocations of atomic scale.

They found that "Fermi level settings" (adjusting the energy levels of electrons) can control the ascent process and reduce defects. This indicates the highest stable energy that electrons can have. It determines whether the semiconductor conducts electricity and how easy it is. Introducing specific impurities and increasing the shutter voltage, they minimized the dislocation in the manufacture of GAN.

If the results are accurate, it marks a significant step towards improving the efficiency and reducing the value of GAN semiconductors. If China can produce high quality GAN chips massively, it will increase its advantage in semiconductor technologies, especially in military and 5G applications. GAN is a third -generation semiconductor material, which is commonly used in 5G base stations, radars, military communication, aerospace and radiosmic war.

It is better than silicon in specific applications, due to its ability to work at higher voltages, frequencies and temperatures. Currently, large world states, such as United States, are largely relying on GAN for advanced chips. This makes it strategically important in the continued technological rivalry between the US and China. China controls about 98% of world production of Galium and has recently banned exports to the United States.