Fudan team builds a 32-bit RISC-V microprocessor from 5,900 MoS2 transistors
What was demonstrated
Researchers at Fudan University fabricated a RISC-V microprocessor that executes standard 32-bit instructions using 5,900 transistors made from the two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2), together with a standard cell library of 25 logic unit types, by co-optimising the process flow and circuit design. Previous 2D semiconductor circuits had reached only a few hundred transistors.
Why it matters
Atomically thin semiconductors are a candidate for continuing transistor scaling beyond silicon. Integration at thousands of transistors with a full cell library is a step from single devices towards practical 2D integrated circuits.
Caveats
- 5,900 transistors is many orders of magnitude below modern silicon processors.
- Press coverage reports clock speeds in the kilohertz range; speed was not the aim of this prototype.
- Wafer-scale yield and reproducibility at higher integration levels remain to be shown.
Technology profiles
Sources
- peer reviewed paper
A RISC-V 32-bit microprocessor based on two-dimensional semiconductors
Mingrui Ao, Xiucheng Zhou, Xinjie Kong et al.. Nature, 2 Apr 2025. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-025-08759-9.
Last reviewed 20 Oct 2026.