IBM ontwikkelt 's werelds snelste transistor

Vandaag kondigt IBM aan 's werelds snelste transistor op silicium-basis te hebben ontwikkeld, aldus C|Net. IBM heeft haar silicium-germanium chip-fabricage technologie verbeterd, zodat dunnere transistors geproduceerd kunnen worden, die sneller zijn en daarbij minder vermogen verbruiken dan anderen. De nieuwe transistor kan op 210GHz werken bij een stroomsterkte van slechts 1 mA, oftewel 80% sneller dan de huidige technologie, terwijl het benodigde vermogen is gehalveerd:

IBM said the technique should pave the way for networking chips that can run at 80GHz, or twice as fast as today's fastest silicon-based chips. If successful, IBM could help chip designers avoid having to move more of their processors to more exotic materials such as gallium arsenide or indium phosphide.

[...] IBM has been a leader in blending germanium and silicon atoms to produce a material that conducts electricity more efficiently than pure silicon. Though IBM has been working with silicon-germanium for about a decade, the latest advance allows the company to make transistors--the building blocks of chips--that are only 100 atoms to 200 atoms thick at the base.

[...] The first chips to use the new technology will likely be networking chips that help guide data on and off of high-speed fiber-optic lines. When operated at lower power levels, the chips could also find their way into cell phones, particularly for radio components, analysts said.