China’s InSe Innovation Puts Silicon Valley on Notice

About a week ago, a viral post declared that on July 19, China had “killed the silicon wafer.”

The claim was explosive: a breakthrough in a new semiconductor material called indium selenide (InSe) had supposedly rendered the entire Western chip ecosystem — from Intel’s FABs to TSMC’s foundries and America’s sanctions — obsolete overnight.

China, the post argued, had not just won the chip war; it had “exited the battlefield” by mastering a new law of atomic physics.

Like many things on the internet, this narrative was a dramatic oversimplification. But it was pointing at a real and significant event. On July 18, researchers from Peking University and Renmin University of China published an article detailing a novel method for the mass production of high-quality InSe wafers.

While this achievement won’t kill silicon tomorrow, it represents a genuine strategic leap. It signals that while the West has been focused on blockading the current technological paradigm, China is aggressively working to invent the next one.

Assessing the accuracy of the viral claims versus the scientific reality reveals a more nuanced but equally profound story about the future of technology, geopolitics, and the very materials that will power our world.

Let’s unpack what this breakthrough means for China, the West, and the future of semiconductors. Then, we’ll close with my Product of the Week: the HyperX QuadCast 2 S microphone.

Inside China’s InSe Wafer Breakthrough

The core of the social media post gets one thing right: the central challenge in producing InSe has been a problem of atomic-level precision known as stoichiometry.

InSe is a two-dimensional (2D) material, meaning it can form stable layers just a few atoms thick. For it to function as a high-performance semiconductor, it requires a perfect one-to-one atomic ratio of indium and selenium. Any deviation creates defects that ruin its electronic properties. Unlike silicon, which is a robust, forgiving element that can be polished and doped into submission, InSe is unforgiving.

The achievement of the Chinese scientists was cracking this very problem. Their innovative method involves heating amorphous InSe film and solid indium in a sealed environment. The vaporized indium creates a liquid interface that allows high-quality, atomically perfect InSe crystals to form in a self-correcting process.

Crucially, they scaled this from microscopic lab flakes to 5-centimeter wafers and built functional transistor arrays, proving the material is “fabrication-grade.” This is a vital step in moving a material from the lab to the factory, a bottleneck that has stalled many promising post-silicon candidates.

Promise of a ‘Golden’ Semiconductor

The excitement around InSe is justified. As silicon-based chips shrink toward their physical limits, the industry is desperately searching for alternatives to continue the progress defined by Moore’s Law — the trend that Intel co-founder Gordon Moore identified in 1965, predicting transistor counts would double roughly every two years with minimal cost increases.

InSe, often referred to as a “golden” semiconductor, has long been a leading contender for several reasons.

First, its electron mobility — the speed at which electrons move through it — is exceptionally high, with some studies showing it can exceed 1,000 cm²/V·s, far superior to silicon. The material’s high electron mobility translates directly to faster switching speeds and more powerful processors.

One report suggests that transistors made with this material could triple the intrinsic switching speed of current 3nm silicon technology while improving energy efficiency by an order of magnitude.

Second, unlike the “wonder material” graphene, which has no natural bandgap and thus cannot be easily “switched off,” InSe is a true semiconductor with a tunable bandgap, making it suitable for digital logic.

Finally, its atomically thin nature allows for superior gate control, mitigating the “short-channel effects” that plague modern silicon transistors and cause power leakage.

Reality Check: Why Silicon Isn’t Dead Yet

Here, however, is where the viral post veers from science into science fiction. The claim that this breakthrough makes ASML, TSMC, and the entire Western supply chain irrelevant is fundamentally incorrect. Creating a perfect wafer is only the first, albeit critical, step. The magic of a modern chip lies in patterning trillions of transistors onto that wafer with nanometer precision.

This process depends on a mind-bogglingly complex and expensive ecosystem that China has yet to master domestically. It includes extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines — a particularly challenging gap — as well as advanced etching and deposition tools from companies such as Applied Materials and Lam Research. The new InSe growth method does nothing to reduce this reliance on a sanctioned, highly intricate infrastructure.

Furthermore, the global semiconductor industry is a multi-trillion-dollar behemoth built on a silicon-based infrastructure that has been optimized over the past 50 years. The 5cm InSe wafer is a stunning proof-of-concept, but it is a world away from the 300mm (12-inch) wafers that are the standard in modern fabs.

Transitioning the industry to new material will take decades and trillions of dollars, with significant challenges in yield, cost, and reliability. Silicon will remain the workhorse of the digital world for the foreseeable future.

Strategic Leap, not a Knockout Punch

The true significance of this breakthrough is not that it renders silicon obsolete, but that it provides China with a powerful, sanction-proof path to developing next-generation technology for key strategic sectors where performance is paramount, and cost is secondary:

• Military and Aerospace: This is the most immediate and critical area of impact. For applications like advanced radar, electronic warfare systems, and satellite communications, InSe-based chips could offer a decisive performance advantage. By developing a sovereign capability in a “beyond-silicon” material, China can build specialized, high-end military hardware that isn’t dependent on U.S. technology.
• AI, Cloud, and High-Performance Computing: The most significant commercial threat is to the dominance of companies like Nvidia. An InSe-native AI accelerator could offer superior performance per watt, a critical metric in the energy-hungry data centers that power the cloud and AI revolution. An InSe-native AI accelerator could enable Chinese firms to build powerful, efficient, and fully domestic AI supercomputers — a key national priority.
• Consumer Electronics and Medical Devices: In the longer term, InSe’s unique properties open up new product categories. Its superior flexibility makes it suitable for foldable displays and wearable electronics, and its sensitivity and low power consumption make it ideal for advanced medical sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) devices. InSe’s flexibility, sensitivity, and low power use create a market where China could leapfrog existing technologies and establish a new frontier of innovation.
• Impact on Existing Chip Companies: The incumbents aren’t obsolete, but they’re on notice. TSMC and Intel must accelerate R&D in 2D materials to avoid being outflanked. Equipment makers like ASML will still find a market, as future InSe fabs will need their lithography tools. The real losers are the sanctions, designed to trap China in the silicon paradigm, which it now has a credible path to sidestep.

Wrapping Up

The dramatic claim that China “killed the silicon wafer” is a wild exaggeration. However, behind the hyperbole lies a crucial truth: a significant scientific breakthrough has occurred, and its geopolitical implications are profound.

China has not ended the chip war, but it has successfully opened a new front — one fought not with geopolitics and supply chains, but with fundamental materials science. This achievement is a clear signal that a strategy based solely on containing an adversary’s access to existing technology is doomed to fail.

The future of computing will be determined not just by who can etch the smallest lines on silicon, but by who can master the atomic intricacies of the materials that will replace it.

HyperX QuadCast 2 S Microphone

Image Credit: HyperX

The HyperX QuadCast 2 S, released in late 2024, aims to be a versatile and high-performing USB microphone for streamers, podcasters, and content creators. Building upon the success of its predecessors, the 2 S model introduces subtle yet impactful refinements that solidify its position in a competitive market.

Key Features and Advantages

At its core, the QuadCast 2 S maintains the signature features that made the original so popular. It boasts four selectable polar patterns: stereo, omnidirectional, cardioid, and bidirectional. This versatility is a significant technical advantage, allowing users to adapt the microphone to various recording scenarios, from solo streaming (cardioid) to group discussions (omnidirectional) or interviews (bidirectional).

A standout feature is the built-in anti-vibration shock mount, which effectively isolates the microphone from accidental bumps and rumbles, ensuring cleaner audio. The tap-to-mute sensor, accompanied by an LED indicator, is incredibly intuitive and convenient, providing immediate visual feedback on the microphone’s live status — a small but crucial detail for live content creation.

Under the hood, the QuadCast 2 S records at a 24-bit/96 kHz sample rate, a notable upgrade from the previous 16-bit/48 kHz. This higher resolution captures more audio detail, resulting in a richer, more professional sound, especially beneficial for music recording or detailed voice work.

It also features a gain control dial conveniently located at the base, allowing for on-the-fly sensitivity adjustments. The integrated pop filter helps reduce plosive sounds, further enhancing audio clarity. Connectivity is straightforward via a single USB-C port.

Price and Key Competitors

The HyperX QuadCast 2 S is currently listed at $145.99. In this price range, it faces stiff competition from other popular USB microphones. Prices may vary by retailer, location, and promotional offers:

• Rode NT-USB Mini ($99-$129): While more affordable, the Rode NT-USB Mini typically offers only a cardioid polar pattern and lacks the integrated shock mount and tap-to-mute feature of the QuadCast 2 S. Its audio quality is excellent for its price, but it’s less versatile.
• Blue Yeti X ($139-$169): Made by Blue Microphones under the Logitech G brand, the Blue Yeti X, is a direct competitor, also offering multiple polar patterns, a multifunction smart knob with LED metering, and customizable lighting via Logitech G HUB software. The QuadCast 2 S often wins on aesthetics and the more robust shock mount, while the Yeti X might appeal to those who prefer Blue’s software ecosystem.
• Elgato Wave:3 ($149-$179): The Wave:3 is another strong contender, particularly for streamers, thanks to its integration with Elgato’s Wave Link software, which offers advanced audio mixing capabilities. However, it typically provides only a cardioid pattern and requires software for many of its advanced features, whereas the QuadCast 2 S offers more hardware-based control.

Ideal Users for the HyperX QuadCast 2 S

The HyperX QuadCast 2 S is an excellent choice for aspiring and established streamers, podcasters, and content creators who need a versatile, high-quality, user-friendly USB microphone. Its multiple polar patterns make it adaptable to various recording environments, from solo commentary to interviews and group discussions.

The plug-and-play simplicity, combined with essential features like the tap-to-mute sensor and integrated shock mount, makes it ideal for those who want professional-sounding audio without delving into complex audio setups.

While it might be overkill for casual voice chat, its superior audio quality and robust feature set justify the investment for anyone serious about their audio production. For users seeking a balance of versatility, ease of use, and excellent sound quality in the sub-$200 range, the QuadCast 2 S stands out as a top-tier option — and it is my Product of the Week.