Intel co-founder Gordon Moore accurately predicted that the number of transistors that could fit onto a silicon wafer would double roughly every two years, but what will happen when transistors are no longer limited by silicon? Researchers at IBM think they’ve answered that question with carbon nanotubes, which they say could be the successor to silicon.
“The carbon nanotube forms the core of a transistor device that will work in a fashion similar to the current silicon transistor, but will be better performing,” according to IBM. The company says the nanotubes could eventually replace the silicon chips used in smartphones and tablets. The combination of small size and high performance could also be appropriate for a number of M2M applications.
Researchers have known for a while that carbon molecules can be used as transistors, but on Sunday the IBM researchers announced that they have a solution for two of the obstacles that have kept these transistors from being commercially viable. Their solution is literally a solution – by soaking the carbon nanotubes in a liquid the researchers were able to eliminate non-metallic molecules that cannot conduct electricity, and they were able to get the good molecules to bond in a way that will conduct electricity.
IBM says it can now place 10,000 carbon nanotubes onto a single chip using standard manufacturing technology. But the company does not hold out the promise of a commercial product within the next few years. Instead it says that this breakthrough is an important step on the road to commercializing carbon nanotubes.
Meanwhile the leading semiconductor manufacturers are busy with their own research, most of which involves silicon. Earlier this year, Intel said it will invest more than $4 billion in two new technologies called extreme ultra-violet lithography and 450-millimeter wafers.
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