Arkansas

In a collaboration through the Center for Manipulation of Atomic Ordering for Manufacturing Semiconductors, researchers from the University of Arkansas, Berkeley Lab, and other institutions confirmed that atoms in semiconductors arrange themselves in distinctive localized patterns rather than random arrangements, changing the material’s electronic behavior. By combining Berkeley Lab’s advanced 4D-STEM microscopy with the U of A’s expertise in silicon-germanium-tin alloys, the team unlocked the ability to see these hidden patterns. This discovery allows scientists to design semiconductors atom-by-atom, paving the way for faster, more energy-efficient microelectronics, advanced quantum computers, and affordable infrared sensors.