Molybdenum role in 2D and 2nm GAA semiconductor chip fabrication rising the demand for this metal

Copper dominated as metal interconnect in chips for decades, however now at 2nm with vertically forming gate all around (GAA) transistors and future Complementary-Field Effect Transistor (CFET), Copper is creating problems such as high diffusivity, voids in filling, and Edge-Placement Errors (EPEs) in EUV Lithography. Engineers are replacing Copper with Molybdenum (Mo) where it addresses the issues of Copper  mentioned above. Molybdenum’s integration with ALD and barrier-less deposition offers advantages for via filling at 2nm. In another technology trend, Molybdenum disulfide, a 2D semiconductor material is gaining importance as favourite materials for fabricating atomic thin 2D chips. Recently Chinese scientists at Fudan University developed a chip utilizing molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) as its primary two-dimensional (2D) material as an alternative to silicon.
Molybdenum is increasingly replacing tungsten and copper in chip interconnects due to its lower resistivity and compatibility with advanced scaling demands. Major chipmakers, including Intel with its PowerVia structure at 2nm (20Å generation), are integrating molybdenum at critical interconnect levels to reduce power consumption and enhance performance. This shift is driven by molybdenum’s ability to address RC delays in densely packed circuits, particularly at metal 0, metal 1, and vias. Lam...