Team makes one-atom transistor
Team makes one-atom transistor
2008-04-18Newsfeed
UK researchers have produced one-atom thick transistors which they hope can become a contender to replace silicon in computing.
UK researchers have produced one-atom thick transistors which they hope can become a contender to replace silicon in computing.
The one-atom thick, ten-atoms wide transistors are carved out of graphene, which has been touted as a candidate to replace silicon as the basis of future computing.
The research was carried out at the University of Manchester and produced transistors that are only 1 nm across that contain just a few carbons rings.
Dr Kostya Novoselov, who co-lead the research said: "A big question has been which material to use for smaller transistors. This is one of the smallest transistors at the moment."
Graphene's honeycomb-like structure of carbon-carbon bonds - some of the strongest in nature - means electrons can travel along them very quickly.
Dr Novoselov and colleagues cut 'quantum dots' of graphene to allow it to control electric current.
They then applied a magnetic field to the smallest dots to allow the current to flow again thereby making a switchable transistor.
Copyright © The Press Association 2008
