It is just three atoms thick and is made from flat sheets of tungsten diselenide

Mar 20, 2014 09:12 GMT  ·  By

LEDs are three-dimensional objects, like pretty much everything else, but researchers from the University of Washington have invented what they call a two-dimensional light-emitting diode.

Made from flat sheets of tungsten diselenide (a molecular semiconductor), the two-dimensional LED is about 10 to 20 times thinner than normal ones.

Despite that, it is still strong, mechanically, so it can be used in a variety of applications, from lighting to display backlights and, most importantly, processors.

Central processing units, and all ICs really (integrated circuits), use electron movement in order to carry out operations.

However, electronics, electrical current, generate heat, and also consume power. That is why there is a community of researchers determined to figure out how to enable the use of light instead of them.

A light-based processor would be several levels of magnitude more efficient, performing all the tasks of standard chips for a fraction of the energy.

The lack of electron movement would also lead to much lower heat, further cutting on power needs because there would be less need for powerful cooling.

In theory, the flat LED invented by the University of Washington scientists could be used to finally make this vision come true.

It will probably take years to make it happen though, which means that the LED technology will likely be used for “normal” things in the meantime, assuming it can be mass-produced using existing equipment.

This is one of the great pitfalls that often befall new inventions: the lack of means to mass-produce them. Specialized equipment is hard and time-consuming to make, and not worth it unless the new invention is truly game-changing. It's unclear if this flat LED qualifies.

Speaking of production, the flat sheets of tungsten diselenide are made through a process similar to the one used to make graphene.

Basically, layers of carbon are peeled off pieces of graphite. Adhesive tape is used for that, of all things. So, it seems that current IC production equipment can be employed for 2D LED manufacture without too many modifications.

To get an idea of just how thin the new LED is, take a human hair and divide it into 10,000 strings. The LED is as thin as one of those strings. As far as miniaturization tech advancements go, this one is a great jump forward.

No word on practical applications just yet, but we doubt they will be kept under wraps once they do come to be.