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UK Scientists Make Transistor One Atom Long, 10 Atoms Wide
Bibek Paudel points out a story about the latest step forward in the development of nano-scale circuits. Researchers from the University of Manchester have created some of the smallest transistors ever, measuring only one atom by 10 atoms. The transistors are made out of graphene, which has the potential to replace silicon in the never-ending hunt for smaller computer technology. From NewScientist:
"There are other kinds of prototype transistors in this size range. But they usually need supercooling using liquid gas, says Novoselov. The new graphene devices work at room temperature. Such prototypes are typically made by building one atom at a time, or wiring up individual molecules. Those approaches are complex and impractical, Novoselov says. By contrast, the graphene transistors were made in the same way that silicon devices are, by etching them out of larger pieces of material. 'That's their big advantage,' he says."
Not in electrical engineering.
Res publica non dominetur
From the linked article:
"The smallest dots that worked as transistors contained as few as five carbon rings - around 10 atoms or 1nm wide."
Somehow that became 10 atoms wide and 1 atom long in the summary.
I know, I know - this sort of thing would never happen on Slashdot...
I know you've been modded funny, but some people are probably wondering - when talking about transistors, "length" is how far electrons have to travel through the transistor, and "width" is the other dimension (effectively how many electrons can travel through the transistor at the same time). Resistance is proportional to length and inversely proportional to width.
It's not exactly rocket surgery.
'Liquid Gas' is sometimes used to describe a substance that is under pressure and a liquid, but is typically a gas under normal atmospheric conditions (1 atm, 25C or something similar)
You will often see it in reference to Natural Gas, as 'Liquid Natural Gas' Since the term 'Natural Gas' is more of a formal name, than any descriptor of a chemical and its state.
Out of modpoints but really liked a post? 1BDkF6TtmmeZ3yqXbz9yhdYVqRYnwFoXDj
It means "length" is the direction electrons flow, and "width" is perpendicular to that, even if that makes "length" smaller than "width".
Patrick Doyle
I mod down every jackass who puts his moderation policy in his sig. Oh, wait a sec....