HP breaks the 2 nanometer barrier

Dodger47 writes "Interesting story from HP on their research in nanotechnology. They're using chemicals that line themselves up to form the wires of a circut board instead of using more traditional ways of pressing circuts, and using simple, small molocules to take over the role of transisters. Once again begging the question, "How small can you get? " Good size site, with a lot of interesting information about how you work at the nano level.

Comments

Hoopla

[ruff]

Now, this looks like some *cool* stuff, but it should be noted that all they said that they can do is produce a "parallel array of wires" 2 nm wide. Now, I'd say that is a substantial breakthrough, but still a far cry from being able to produce a transistor at that level. Now, if they can "self-assemble" an n-p junction at the 2 nm level, well, I'd quit everything and buy stock in HP.

Nanocomputing: Electric, Mechanical, or Quantum?

[Anonymous Coward]

In every article on nanocomputing I've seen in the popular press, the focus is on how much smaller you can make the various electronic components. The problem is that we're hitting limits in lithographic techniques, followed at some remote ( 10 years ) by theoretical problems with the materials used to build transitors. Nano-transistors are not the answer.

There are three alternatives, one easier, one better, and one much better. The first is rod-logic machines, which are analagous to the Analytical Engine (in the same way a Pentium III is analagous to fifties-era soldered transitors ), which don't require any theoretical breakthroughs (and for that matter, have already been proven in the mathematical sense), only decent nano-scale manufacturing. I say this is easier because technique breakthroughs (nano-manufacturing) are more likely to occur than theoritical (new transitor theory/materials), at least in the short-term. (After all, technique is limited by what can be, and theory is not...)

The second alternative is nano-scale optical computing, which doesn't use electricity either. Optical computing is farther along than rod-logic in the lab, but it does have a problem similar to nano-electric computing (optical transitors). The benefits of optical computing should be understood by the /. audience; optical computing is the clear successor to electronic at any scale, and its benefits should only increase at the nano-scale.

The third alternative, and the hardest, is the quantum computer, something that I'm equally sure that /.ers are familiar with. I mention this primarily to note that it will put any of the three above technologies to shame, no matter what scale its implementation happens to take place on.

In summary, I wouldn't get too excited about nano-scale electronics. Better or cheaper (or both) computing is coming in about the same time-frame.

-_Quinn

More on the HP guys

[ruff]

Here's another story about the HP guys that talk a little more about making the actual transistors.