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Researchers Create 4nm Transistor With Seven Atoms

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the xanthir-has-almost-70k-hp dept.

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'."

8 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Not Holding My Breath by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It sounds like they did this by moving single atoms at a time, and not through any kind of lithography, or mass-producible process. So while neat, like the single atom transistor story from a while back, it doesn't look like they really have a way to produce billions of these at a time. We may have to wait a long time before we see anything like this in our home PCs.

    1. Re:Not Holding My Breath by bain+itic · · Score: 4, Informative

      Even in a crystaline structure? Forgive me, IANAMS.

      Yes, even in a crystalline structure. Diffusion in solids at the macroscopic scale seems slow compared to say, cream in your coffee, but at the atomic scale... They did this at the surface, which makes it even worse. I can't imagine this lasting any useful amount of time without some SEVERE cooling measures. I'm not sure if even liquid nitrogen could save it. IAAMS.

  2. New hardware error? by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 4, Funny

    Just wait until you get an error message that says:

    * * * ATOM NOT PRESENT ERROR * * *

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
    1. Re:New hardware error? by roman_mir · · Score: 4, Funny

      Atom decay detected, insert proton. (Insert, Abort, Cancel)

      --
      You can't handle the truth.
    2. Re:New hardware error? by binarylarry · · Score: 4, Funny

      * ATOMIC ERROR: ATOM IS EITHER PRESENT OR NOT PRESENT (I CAN'T TELL, CAN YOU LOOK)

      cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat cat vv

      --
      Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
  3. Eat my transistor by flahwho · · Score: 5, Funny

    I once created a transistor with seven raisins. It didn't last long and I think Kelloggs stole the patent!

    --I forgot my sig.

  4. Re:Interesting by irreverant · · Score: 4, Funny

    We move forward while we move back, if it needs to be in a vacuum then it would use a vacuum tube, while it's good for music it's bad for computers since we moved forward from these to transistors. I'm thoroughly confused now.

    --
    Of all the things I've lost; I miss my mind the most. - Mark Twain
  5. Re:Interesting by jo_ham · · Score: 4, Interesting

    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.