Transistors Hit 25 Nanometers
Breakthrough paves way for chips with billions more transistors, supercharging AI and data processing
In the pursuit of increasing processing power, researchers have been working to create smaller transistors to fit more of them onto computer chips. A transistor is a switch that turns on and off in response to jolts of electricity pulsing 4 billion times per second, and modern devices contain billions of them.
The smaller the transistors are, the more can fit on each chip and the greater the chip's speed and functionality. To achieve this, researchers have been exploring new materials and approaches. In a recent study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, researchers used two-dimensional semiconductors made of tungsten disulfide to shrink nanoribbon transistors down to a channel width of 25 nanometers.
To put that into perspective, the channel width of 25 nanometers is about 0.00025 the width of a human hair. Two-dimensional semiconductors are electrically active materials that are only one or a few atoms thick, making them ideal for creating smaller transistors.
Researchers have also built proof-of-concept devices in which a single atom controls the flow of electrons, although the rest of the device is still much larger. This breakthrough demonstrates the potential for even smaller transistors, which could lead to significant increases in processing power.
## Why it matters The development of smaller transistors has significant implications for the tech industry. As devices become increasingly reliant on artificial intelligence and data processing, the need for faster and more efficient chips grows. Smaller transistors can fit more on each chip, increasing the chip's speed and functionality. This, in turn, can enable faster and more efficient processing of data, leading to breakthroughs in fields such as AI, healthcare, and finance.
As researchers continue to push the boundaries of transistor size, we can expect to see significant advancements in computing power and efficiency. With the potential for even smaller transistors on the horizon, the future of computing looks promising.
