IBM Research Team One Step Closer to Carbon Nanotube PC Chips
By Rob Scott
November 2, 2012
November 2, 2012
- IBM researchers have developed a new technique that greatly enhances the efficiency of silicon replacement technology based on carbon nanotubes.
- “Carbon nanotubes are very small structures made of a lattice of carbon atoms rolled into a cylindrical shape, and a team of eight researchers have figured out a way to precisely place them on a computer chip,” reports CNET.
- IBM researchers used advanced chemical processing to fit 10,000 carbon nanotube transistors onto one chip.
- This marks an increase of 100 times in density over previous attempts — or the equivalent of 1 billion nanotubes per square centimeter.
- “The new technique helps improve the nanotubes’ chances in the hunt for alternatives once today’s silicon transistor technology runs out of steam,” explains the article. “Today’s chips are made of tiny electrical switches called transistors, and carbon nanotubes are a potential substitute for the silicon channels that carry electrical current in those transistors.”
- Although IBM has yet to commit to a commercial version, it is worth noting the new process is compatible with today’s chipmaking technology.
- “This new placement technique is readily implemented, involving common chemicals and processes, and provides a platform for future CNTFET experimental studies,” the paper said. “Furthermore, these results show that CNT placement via chemical self-assembly is a promising approach for developing a viable CNT logic technology compatible with existing semiconductor fabrication.”
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