When Gordon Moore noted that the number of transistors one can
cram into a given square of silicon doubles every 18 to 24
months, he hadn't yet foreseen the demise of optical
lithography, the physics-dictated limit to today's CPU
fabrication technologies. In the race to build smaller and
faster transistor technology, much attention has been lavished
on carbon nanotubes. These strands of carbon atoms, measuring
less than 1/50,000 the width of a human hair, are the strongest
and most conductive fibers known. However, it wasn't until May
that researchers at IBM's Watson Research Center ( ) proved
nanotubes could outperform silicon. In traditional silicon and
metal chip technology, individual wires are subject to many
resistive forces that interfere with electron movement, thus
requiring more power and generating more heat. Because nanotubes
are so thin, interfering forces can't bump electrons sideways.
This lets designers create lower-power chips and chips with
faster transistors. In an IBM announcement, the res