Cornell Semiconductor Sets Record Bandgap
Engineers at Cornell University report a new material with a bandgap exceeding 7 electron volts, surpassing the previous record of about 6 electron volts.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Materials Science
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Cornell University engineers developed a semiconductor with a bandgap exceeding 7 electron volts, above the previous record of about 6 electron volts. The study was published in Nature on October 7.
Why it matters
Wider bandgap semiconductors can withstand stronger electric fields before breaking down, a property relevant to power electronics and high-performance devices. The team's preliminary transistor results suggest the material could support practical electronic applications.
The record was measured in laboratory thin films, with the bandgap above 7 electron volts compared to a previous record of about 6 electron volts. The preliminary transistors show more than four orders of magnitude change in current, but the number of defects found by electron microscopy and the path to practical devices remain unresolved.
The players
Cornell University
A private Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York, where the semiconductor research was conducted.
Jacob Steele
A Cornell researcher who grew the thin films used in the study using suboxide molecular-beam epitaxy.
The details
Jacob Steele grew the thin films using suboxide molecular-beam epitaxy, building the material one layer at a time on a sapphire substrate. Silicon atoms were incorporated at a low enough temperature to introduce mobile electrons, and the team fabricated a working diode and a field-effect transistor called the AlphaFET.
Timeline
October 7: Study detailing the record-setting material published in Nature
November 3, 2026: Cornell Chronicle article published on the record-setting semiconductor
The Big Picture
The AlphaFET demonstrates that the record bandgap material can be built into a working field-effect transistor, extending the work from material measurement into device form. The result positions colossal bandgap semiconductors as a candidate for future electronics, though the team says further work is needed before the devices are practical.
The material's wider bandgap could eventually support power electronics that tolerate stronger electric fields, a property with pragmatic relevance to future devices. Commercial timelines remain uncertain, since the team says further work will be needed before the devices are practical.
The takeaway
Colossal bandgap semiconductors are moving from record-setting measurements toward working transistors, but defect levels and device maturity still determine how soon they could reach practical use.
Further reading
Explore more in Materials Science coverage of new semiconductor research and device engineering.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Cornell University News Service.
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