Physicists discover a new way flow of information in a small wire used in microchips. These findings open up opportunities for the sustainability of Moore's law regarding the ability of microprocessors has doubled every 18 months.
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| Wires just one atom tall have been created by inserting a string of phosphorus atoms in a silicon crystal by a team of researchers from the University of New South Wales, Melbourne University and Purdue University. This image from a computational simulation run of the wires shows electron density as electrons flow from left to right. The wires are 20 times smaller than the smallest wires now available and measure just four atoms wide by one phosphorus atom tall. (Picture from: http://www.eurekalert.org/) |
The team of researchers from three universities in Australia and the United States is finding ways to deliver information in a tiny pipe information. These pipes are made of chains of phosphorus atoms which act as a bridge introduction of electrons. Phosphorus bridge has a width of four times the diameter of an atom (about 1.5 nanometers) and a high one times the diameter of an atom. "So far, researchers believe the size of smaller than 10 nanometers, wire resistance increases dramatically," said Michelle Simmons, a physicist from the University of New South Wales who participated in this study.
The smaller size is a bottleneck in the development of the microprocessor. The more narrow bridge information, the more electrons are lost when passed. And computer engineers need increasingly compressed microprocessor to save space on the computer.
In microprocessors, the electron is used as the introduction of information known as bits. But these electrons are easily deviated off the bridge when the size of the smaller bridges.
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| Are Moore's Law fans happy to see this atomic wire? (Picture from: http://www.wired.com/) |
Simmons proposed solution is to mix the material with the material silicon electron donors such as phosphorus. These electrons act as a lubricant that pave the way electrons, so that the flow of information to flow smoothly. Final touch, wrapped in a layer of hydrogen bridges to keep the electrons not affected by surrounding conditions. "This technique makes the electrons flow remains undisturbed environment," he added.
Physicists from the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Germany, Volker Schmidt, respond positively to the results of this study. According to him, making the metal bridge at very small sizes are very favorable for the electronics industry in the future. *** [SCIAM | ANTON WILLIAM | KORAN TEMPO 3760]
