Researchers Create 4nm Transistor With Seven Atoms

EmagGeek writes "University researchers have created a transistor by replacing just seven atoms of silicon with phosphorous. The seven-atom transistor has hopeful implications for the future of quantum cryptography, nuclear and weather modeling, and other applications. 'The significance of this achievement is that we are not just moving atoms around or looking at them through a microscope,' says Professor Michelle Simmons, a co-author of a paper on the subject that is being published by Nature Nanotechnology. The paper is entitled 'Spectroscopy of Few-Electron Single-Crystal Silicon Quantum Dots'."

Comments

Re:Not Holding My Breath

[$RANDOMLUSER]

You probably don't need a quantum computer to wait on I/O in your home PC.

Interesting

[daveime]

I thought that phosphorus was one of those elements that is never present in atomic form, it's so reactive it immediately oxidizes to form phosphorus compounds.

Does this mean the 7 atom transistor has to remain in a vacuum ?

Re:Interesting

[jo_ham]

You can just keep it in an inert atmosphere or cover it in an inert insulator.

You can store phosphorus under oil relatively easily. No need for a vacuum per se.

Re:Not Holding My Breath

[dpilot]

It'll take a really wicked manufacturing process to ever make, too. 7 atoms? What if you get only 6? What if you get 8? What if one is slightly off position? We've already been at sub-100nM processes for years now, and things are already too "grainy" for real comfort.

Oh yeah, what's the difference between "on" current and "off" current?

Re:Not Holding My Breath

[wiredlogic]

Even if you could mass produce this structure it will always be impractical because natural diffusion processes will cause the atoms to migrate out of position.