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Graphene Transistors Clocked At 26GHz

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the slightly-faster-than-one dept.

KentuckyFC writes "A team at IBM has built the first high quality graphene transistors and clocked them running at 26 GHz . That doesn't quite knock silicon off its perch. The fastest silicon transistors are an order of magnitude faster than that but the record is held by indium phosphide transistors which have topped 1000 GHz. But it's not bad for a new kid on the block. It took silicon 40 years to get this far. By contrast, the first graphene transistor was built only last year. IBM says 'the work represents a significant step towards the realization of graphene-based electronics.' (Abstract)."

5 of 174 comments (clear)

  1. in other words by circletimessquare · · Score: 5, Funny

    pencil < pen < sliderule < calculator < computer < supercomputer < pencil

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    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  2. Digital switching or signal amplification? by Andy+Dodd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's a lot harder to get a switching transistor (for digital circuitry) to operate at high speeds than for a transistor to show gain as an RF amplifier.

    26 GHz is incredible for switching circuitry, but it's nothing if you're talking RF signals nowadays. I'm guessing that this was an RF amp given the comments of other transistors being faster in the article summary.

    There is a comment about "clocked at" which implies digital switching, but that could easily be a clueless journalist that has no idea of the difference between transistors in clocked digital circuitry and transistors as RF amplifiers.

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    retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
  3. Re:Are we getting into light spectrum territory no by blueg3 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You mean photon? We know a hell of a lot more about photons than "it's not an electron".

    Don't confuse you not knowing what a photon is with physicists not knowing what a photon is. Don't confuse not knowing what something "is" with the inability to make working devices with them.

  4. Re:Yes but... by oodaloop · · Score: 5, Funny

    You're missing several memes, like:

    1. In Soviet Russia,
    2. Slashdot is pants
    3. Imagine a beowulf cluster of those
    4. ...
    5. Profit!

    P.S. You must be new here.

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    Tic-Tac-Toe, Global Thermonuclear War, and relationships all have the same winning move.
  5. Re:Why? by canajin56 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    At some point, we have to conclude that we are good. Tiger hide is likely the best material for clothing, and will continue to stay that way. Other sources have been tried (leaves were the first) but tiger hide took precedence because it was warmer and less scratchy, and I don't see any reason to change that.

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    ASCII stupid question, get a stupid ANSI