Big future beckons for tiny chips
235417
Chip guru Gordon Moore talks about the future of the processors at the heart of modern computers.
258474
Scientists create a tiny engine that could become a power source for future nano-scale devices.
54384
IBM--in a race with Intel--moves to make faster, smaller chips by building silicon transistors from a rare combination of metals.
127652
For decades, computer performance has been driven largely by the increasing numbers of ever-smaller transistors squeezed into the machines&#39; silicon brains.
649520
One nanotechnology researcher said supercomputers small enough to fit into the palm of your hand are only 10 or 15 years away."If things continue to go the way they have been in the past few decades, then it's 10 years," said Michael Zaiser, a professor and researcher at the University of Edinburgh School of Engineering and Electronics. "The human brain is very good at working on microprocessor problems, so I think we are close -- 10 years, maybe 15."Zaiser's research into nanowires should help move that timeline along.For the last five years, he has been studying how tiny wires -- 1,000 times thinner than a human hair -- behave when manipulated. He explained that each such miniscule wire tends to behave differently when put under the same amount of pressure. Therefore, it has been impossible to line them up close to each other in tiny microprocessors in a production atmosphere.Zaiser said he's now figured out how to make the wires behave uniformly. He separates the interior material of the wire into distinct groups so the wire can't react as a whole. That makes it much easier to control. "It's like crowd control," he added. "If they can all go one way, you have a big mess."These nanowires will go inside microprocessors that could, in turn, go inside PCs, laptops, cell phones, or even supercomputers. And the smaller the wires, the smaller the chip can be.Shrinking down the microprocessors is a big step toward shrinking down computers.Zaiser was quick to point out that his nanowire discovery won't immediately lead to the development of supercomputers that can fit in the palm of a hand or even shrink down to the size of a book of matches. In addition to smaller microprocessors, engineers will need to deal with thermal fluctuations that erupt at that size.But he does humbly admit that taming nanowires is a big step toward the goal of small supercomputers."This will enable chips to become much smaller," he said. "Think 10 years back. You could hold [a cell phone] the size of a telephone receiver and it didn't work so well. Today, you can fit what is a powerful computer onto a small device."Charles King, an analyst at Pund-IT in Hayward, Calif., said that with advances like nanowire technology continuing to come along, Zaiser's predictions for tiny supercomputers may not be so far off. And that will be a huge step for the industry, considering that not so long ago supercomputers filled up enormous rooms or even entire buildings."Actually, what he's saying is not crazy," said King. "The wire problem was an important one. Solving that particular issue, one so fundamental, needed to be done. If he can solve that, a lot of people, a lot of companies, will appreciate that. The industry is aligning in a direction where we're going to be seeing continuing improvements and developments."Jim McGregor, an analyst at In-Stat in Scottsdale, Ariz., said he definitely can see palm-size supercomputers coming out within 10 to 15 years, but he thinks they'll be based on the basic silicon technology used today. He added that the next generation of tiny supercomputers -- made with carbon nanotubes and nanowires -- may be as far off as another 30 to 40 years, though."You know, everybody says we'll get to a physical limit but every time we think we're going to hit it, we overcome it," said McGregor. "They end up being speed bumps instead of road blocks."King added that over the last 10 or 20 years, technology advancements have put smaller and more powerful computers into the hands of children and researchers alike. That leads him to believe that the shrinking of supercomputers is just ahead of us."We're at the beginning of some very exciting times in supercomputing," he said.Computerworld is an InfoWorld affiliate
183912
Ultrasmall technology, revolutionary impact.
462306
A new micro-generator developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology holds promise for micro-generator technology&#39;s future in electronics devices.
10115
A new form of carbon being pioneered by Walter de Heer could lead to speedy, compact computer processors.
63953
Sixty years after transistors were invented and nearly five decades since they were first integrated into silicon chips, the tiny on-off switches dubbed the "nerve cells" of the information age are starting to show their age.
310996
Chip maker plans for smaller, faster, less power-hungry processors.
629159
Prototype 90-nanometer radio chip promises more power than current CMOS technology.
18408
Extended collaboration could result in chips built on 32-nanometer technology.
30693
Chips that help a computer's main microprocessors perform specific types of math problems are becoming a big business once again.
263585
A half century after transistors were first integrated onto silicon chips, the technology for shrinking them appears to be reaching its limit. Without the regular, dramatic performance improvements we've come to expect, the computer industry may hit a wall.
377898
The chip maker has announced a tiny drive that could help bring the power of desktop computers to handheld devices.
648786
A new type of memory could soon be available to device makers.
31450
From production plant to pharmacy, some of the most sought-after drugs will now be tracked by the technology in tiny microchips. It&#39;s already getting the green light from law enforcement.