New IBM Transistors hit 100GHz
BeefJeRKy
07 Feb 2010
Quote
IBM demonstrates 100GHz graphene transistor
It's just been a little over a week since IBM researchers announced that they managed to open up a bandgap for graphene-based field-effect transistors, but they're now already back to show off what that's made possible: a 100GHz graphene transistor. What's more, this latest record-setting transistor (which IBM hopes will one day replace silicon transistors) was made using processing technology that's compatible with that currently used in advanced silicon device fabrication, which should no doubt help speed up its eventual commercialization. Of course, any widespread adoption is still quite a ways away, but IBM says that this new transistor "demonstrates clearly that graphene can be utilized to produce high performance devices and integrated circuits." For those keeping score, this first-of-its-kind transistor already beats the frequency performance of current state-of-the-art silicon transistors of the same gate length, which now top out at a mere 40GHz.
It's just been a little over a week since IBM researchers announced that they managed to open up a bandgap for graphene-based field-effect transistors, but they're now already back to show off what that's made possible: a 100GHz graphene transistor. What's more, this latest record-setting transistor (which IBM hopes will one day replace silicon transistors) was made using processing technology that's compatible with that currently used in advanced silicon device fabrication, which should no doubt help speed up its eventual commercialization. Of course, any widespread adoption is still quite a ways away, but IBM says that this new transistor "demonstrates clearly that graphene can be utilized to produce high performance devices and integrated circuits." For those keeping score, this first-of-its-kind transistor already beats the frequency performance of current state-of-the-art silicon transistors of the same gate length, which now top out at a mere 40GHz.
Imagine hundreds of million of these in a CPU. The next decade will be sweet with upcoming graphene electronics, photonics (using photons instead of electrons in circuits), and the era of quantum computing.
Destiny
07 Feb 2010
Hmm...this seems like a rather interesting prospect...do photons encounter lesser resistance in circuitry than electrons do? 
Ion Cannon!
07 Feb 2010
BeefJeRKy
07 Feb 2010
Destiny, on 7 Feb 2010, 17:53, said:
Hmm...this seems like a rather interesting prospect...do photons encounter lesser resistance in circuitry than electrons do?
They work in different circuits. Electrons travel fairly slowly, but it feels fast because they displace other electrons in the metal or semi-metal circuits. An optical circuit would be much much faster since photons travel at celerity in vacuum (3x108 m/s).
BeefJeRKy
08 Feb 2010
CodeCat
08 Feb 2010
JRK, on 7 Feb 2010, 17:13, said:
Destiny, on 7 Feb 2010, 17:53, said:
Hmm...this seems like a rather interesting prospect...do photons encounter lesser resistance in circuitry than electrons do?
They work in different circuits. Electrons travel fairly slowly, but it feels fast because they displace other electrons in the metal or semi-metal circuits. An optical circuit would be much much faster since photons travel at celerity in vacuum (3x108 m/s).
Electrons don't move fast, but the force of movement which produces electricity does. Electricity is very similar to sound; rather than the electrons themselves moving much, it is a wave or displacement propagating through the conductor. The wave travels at about 2/3 the speed of light in an ordinary wire, I measured it once.
