The basis of Graphene transistor becomes a reality

The Samsung Research Institute publishes new results - demonstration in support - manufacturing of functional Graphene-based transistors.

The Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, in the heart of the R & D of Korean, have developed a new basis of Graphene transistor. We talked about in a few months ago already suggested that this new material could one day allow the production of new transistors better than silicon.

Researchers in the foundries have two areas of research to continuously improve the performance of transistors that are in part the processors of our computers. The first axis is the reduction of the size of these transistors to reduce the distance that should browse the electrons between the source and the drain of a transistor. The second axis is simply the acceleration of the speed of the electron. To do so, should find a new material that replaces silicon and allow a more important than latter electron mobility. Researchers focused primarily on reducing the size even if others have also begun research into new materials, with the discovery of the Graphene in 2004.

Even if this discovery had excellent results with nearly 200 times the rate of mobility of electrons from Silicon, the manufacture of transistor was then still not possible. The reason is simple, the Graphene as a semi-metallic compound, the possibility to cut the flow of electrons was until now impossible. However, this possibility is essential to generate the bits necessary to the operation of our computers, the famous "0" and "1". Previous research had resulted in changes the Graphene to make semiconductor, but the mobility of electrons was much smaller than initially and was really an interest for the manufacture of transistors.

Graphite (base of the Graphene) to a wafer base of Graphene transistor Samsung

The Samsung Research Institute has published new results of research and announced that its researchers have developed a semiconductor Graphene-based without reducing its effectiveness. Called Barristor, Samsung indeed us demonstration by presenting a transistor made from Graphene with a door of Schottky mixing silicon and Graphene, which allows to control the passage of electrons between the collector and the transmitter at very low voltage. Researchers of the known have also exploited their new technique in manufacturer a few logic circuits to perform basic operations such as additions for example.

A new door is now open and researchers around the world can funnel into the breach to produce new yet more efficient transistors in the future. For when? We see products marketed with this type of transistors before a decade, unfortunately.

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The future of computing will pass by the graphene and Racetrack?

IBM made a demonstration of his research for the storage of data in high density and ultra fast, all based on the Graphene.

Yesterday, the international meeting of the IEEE, Institute of electrical and electronics engineers, IBM scientists have unveiled several breakthroughs in research that could lead to major advances towards always smaller chips. More than 50 years, processors for computers increase in power and decrease in size. But have we reached the limits of Moore's law? With virtually all electronic equipment today manufactured on the basis of the CMOS, there is an urgent need to develop new materials for industry approach inevitably limits of Silicon compound transistors.

IBM demonstrated a new version of Racetrack, offering a high capacity storage as traditional hard drives, but with the speed and robustness of the flash memory. After seven years of research in physics, it is possible to show that this type of memory is possible. IBM researchers have detailed the operation of the first Racetrack memory integrated with CMOS technology. Racetrack memory stores data on Nanoscale metal wires. Bits - 1 and 0 - are represented by magnetic bands in these nanowires, which are created by the control of magnetic orientation from different parts of the wire.

Writing data is to insert a tape in a new part of a Nanowire by applying a current in one direction or the other. The reading of data is to move the tapes along the nanowires before a device capable of detecting the boundaries between each block. Researchers have demonstrated that it is possible both read and write data on a network of 256 Nanowires.

This development laid the Foundation for the Racetrack memory density. He has yet to improve the reliability and the development of circuits in three dimensions, such as those of the latest processors Intel (Tri-Gate transistors). This breakthrough could lead to the creation of a new type of data centers allowing customers to store huge amounts of information available within a billionth of a second... If the fiber network also develops.

IBM made the way the first chips in Graphene compatible CMOS can advance wireless communications, and allow to manufacture new devices at high frequencies. Devices that could even operate at temperatures until there not allowed, to avoid the melting of the circuit, even under exceptional conditions of radiation for the areas of security and medical. The circuit integrated in Graphene, used as a frequency multiplier, can mount up to 5 GHz and remains stable up to 200 degrees Celsius. These results are promising for Graphene circuits that can be used in high temperature environments.

IBM researchers have also shown yesterday the first transistor engraved below 10 nm. Expected to computers of the future use of such nuances of printmaking for processors, because today, the only Silicon cannot reach such size, which makes this use of the Graphene a breakthrough for next computer technologies. This breakthrough demonstrated also for the first time that carbon nanotubes, used in the manufacture of the binding of transistors in processors circuit, can provide excellent results, much better than some theoretical estimates had suggested.

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