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IBM Pushes Beyond 7 Nanometers, Uses Graphene To Place Nanomaterials on Wafers (ieee.org)
An anonymous reader shares a report: Four years ago, IBM announced that it was investing $3 billion over the next five years into the future of nanoelectronics with a broad project it dubbed "7nm and Beyond." With at least one major chipmaker, GlobalFoundries, hitting the wall at the 7-nm node, IBM is forging ahead, using graphene to deposit nanomaterials in predefined locations without chemical contamination. In research described in the journal Nature Communications, the IBM researchers for the first time electrified graphene so that it helps to deposit nanomaterials with 97% accuracy.
"As this method works for a wide variety of nanomaterials, we envision integrated devices with functionalities that represent the unique physical properties of the nanomaterial," said Mathias Steiner, manager at IBM Research-Brazil. "We also can envision on-chip light detectors and emitters operating within a distinct wavelength range determined by the optical properties of the nanomaterial." As an example, Steiner explained that if you wanted to modify the spectral performance of an optoelectronic device, you could simply replace the nanomaterial while keeping the manufacturing process flow the same. If you take the method one step further, you could assemble different nanomaterials in different places doing multiple passes of assembly to create on-chip light detectors operating in different detection windows at the same time.
"As this method works for a wide variety of nanomaterials, we envision integrated devices with functionalities that represent the unique physical properties of the nanomaterial," said Mathias Steiner, manager at IBM Research-Brazil. "We also can envision on-chip light detectors and emitters operating within a distinct wavelength range determined by the optical properties of the nanomaterial." As an example, Steiner explained that if you wanted to modify the spectral performance of an optoelectronic device, you could simply replace the nanomaterial while keeping the manufacturing process flow the same. If you take the method one step further, you could assemble different nanomaterials in different places doing multiple passes of assembly to create on-chip light detectors operating in different detection windows at the same time.
GF reportedly hits a wall at 7nm, but not a word on Intel's Great Wall of 10nm..?
The summary is conflating two related, but distinct things here: 1. the ability to place features on a wafer at dimensions less than 7 nm, and 2. the ability to manufacture large quantities of highly reliable transistors with features less than 7 nm.
While 1. is a necessary condition for 2., it is far from sufficient.
The article itself doesn't discuss GF for good reason, since GF dropping out of the "end of Moore's law" race is irrelevant. However, the article wondering why IBM is investing here while it is de-vesting from semiconductor manufacturing misses the point. This is about development of new tools and technologies, not to squeeze one more node out of Moore's law.
These nanotechnologies can be highly useful in lots of areas distinct from chipmaking, for example, the article talks about light sense which could be very important in continuing advances in neuroscience and physical chemistry (to name too examples). There is REAL MONEY in healthcare and these type of new sensors could potentially revolutionize science and practice in many bio-facing areas.
IBM has gotten out of the chipmaking game and this announcement in no way implies it is getting back in.
Might be worth mentioning in this context that scientists have recently published results of experiments showing that graphene is able to turn alternating electric currents in the GHz range into electric currents in the THz range: https://phys.org/news/2018-09-... Thus, instead of using graphene just as some structured base material, it may make a lot of sense to actually build the electronic circuit itself from graphene.