New single-molecule transistors work at room temperature

by seattleniceguy 6 Replies latest jw friends

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  seattleniceguy

  Just when you thought the IPod was pretty cool, we may soon have devices using one-molecule-wide transistors. Researchers at the National Institute for Nanotechnology have demonstrated the ability to switch the charge on a single molecule to impede or allow current flow in surrounding molecules. Flipping the gate requires one electron, as opposed to the one million required in current technology. The technology worked at room temperature, which obviously is important for real-world uses.

  Read all about it here: http://www.physorg.com/news4345.html

  SNG
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  RunningMan

  So, if technology shrinks in size by a factor of one million, how will we press the keys on our blackberrys?
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  EscapedLifer1

  So, if technology shrinks in size by a factor of one million, how will we press the keys on our blackberrys?

  LOL!!

  This is actually awesome news, we are rapidly approaching the limits of processing speeds with the current silicon wafer based transistors. I know it will take several years to get technology like this on the shelf at Circut City, but transitor switching at the molecular level will mean a quantum jump in processor speeds.

  Yeah, so I'm a techno geek too!!

  Brandon
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  stillajwexelder

  Trouble is you are at the limits dicatated by quantum mechanics and Heisenbergs uncertainty starts coming into the equation. Also there willbe so much heat generated that soon you are going to have to cool processor chips and RAM/ROM chips with liquid nitrogen or perhaps solid CO2 - mere fans on chps will just not be enough
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  seattleniceguy

  Stilla,

  The heat problem is one of the things that's solved by the fact that the gate is flipped by only one electron, rather than millions. Lower current flow = lower heat.

  SNG
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  stillajwexelder

  true I had not thought about that
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  nicolaou

  This is what I heard; "blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah blah, blah, blah"

  Man I'm such a Neanderthal.