IBM Research Unveils Carbon Transistors Carbon nanotubes,
nanowires, and quantum dots are already in the works. But "pure
crystalline sheets of carbon" called graphene are the closest
substitute yet for silicon sheets, the report said. Why bother?
Because silicon chips generate more and more heat as
manufacturers shrink the chips and speed them up. Carbon, at
least in labs, seems to reverse the effect using quantum
effects, and actually consume less power as researchers shrink
the chips. In addition, graphene sheets can carry electrons
faster with the same voltage, the report said. The trick has
been improving the "on-to-off current ratios," which IBM has
done via a "bi-layer construction method for graphene
transistors." Sounds complex--but as Moore's Law threatens to
run out of steam, this could be our next best bet. Originally
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