Home > News > Flawed nanotubes could be perfect silicon replacement
December 15th, 2008
Flawed nanotubes could be perfect silicon replacement
Abstract:
The paradox of perfection - that flaws make things perfect - could be the key to designing nanoelectronic circuits from carbon nanotubes, according to US scientists.
They have discovered that a circuit of nanotubes can only guide a current if some of the tubes carry structural defects.
Individual carbon nanotubes are exceptionally good conductors because they are essentially a single carbon molecule. They can even outdo silicon at transmitting charge, which means nanotube circuits could boost computing speeds while reducing chip size (see our feature What happens when silicon can shrink no more? ).
But connecting nanotubes into such circuits is not easy, says Vincent Meunier at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. "The connections between individual nanotubes do not conduct well," he says.
Instead of jumping easily into an adjacent nanotube, as they would between metal wires, electrons are more likely to bounce back when they reach the end of a tube, says Meunier. Electrons treat junctions between nanotubes as barriers - what scientists call "opaque".
Source:
newscientist.com
Bookmark:
| Related News Press |
News and information
Electrifying results shed light on graphene foam as a potential material for lab grown cartilage June 6th, 2025
Quantum computers simulate fundamental physics: shedding light on the building blocks of nature June 6th, 2025
A 1960s idea inspires NBI researchers to study hitherto inaccessible quantum states June 6th, 2025
Chip Technology
A 1960s idea inspires NBI researchers to study hitherto inaccessible quantum states June 6th, 2025
Programmable electron-induced color router array May 14th, 2025
Enhancing power factor of p- and n-type single-walled carbon nanotubes April 25th, 2025
Ultrafast plasmon-enhanced magnetic bit switching at the nanoscale April 25th, 2025
Nanotubes/Buckyballs/Fullerenes/Nanorods/Nanostrings
Enhancing power factor of p- and n-type single-walled carbon nanotubes April 25th, 2025
Chainmail-like material could be the future of armor: First 2D mechanically interlocked polymer exhibits exceptional flexibility and strength January 17th, 2025
Innovative biomimetic superhydrophobic coating combines repair and buffering properties for superior anti-erosion December 13th, 2024
Discoveries
Researchers unveil a groundbreaking clay-based solution to capture carbon dioxide and combat climate change June 6th, 2025
Cambridge chemists discover simple way to build bigger molecules – one carbon at a time June 6th, 2025
Electrifying results shed light on graphene foam as a potential material for lab grown cartilage June 6th, 2025
A 1960s idea inspires NBI researchers to study hitherto inaccessible quantum states June 6th, 2025
Announcements
Electrifying results shed light on graphene foam as a potential material for lab grown cartilage June 6th, 2025
Quantum computers simulate fundamental physics: shedding light on the building blocks of nature June 6th, 2025
A 1960s idea inspires NBI researchers to study hitherto inaccessible quantum states June 6th, 2025
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||