transistor news stories on Newser

Transistors May Migrate to Paper

Wesley Oliver — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:49:55 CDT

The future of electronics may be etched on paper, reports the Economist . Researchers have found a cheaper, easier way to make transistors using cellulose, paper’s key ingredient. Paper could soon replace silicon as a surface on which to mount transistors, which control the flow of electric currents and power most...

World's Smallest Transistor Sets Path to Better Chips

Matt Cantor — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:27:18 CDT

Scientists in England have created the world’s smallest transistor, the BBC reports. At 1 atom thick and 10 atoms wide, it could be the key to creating microchips beyond the power of silicon. The transistor is made of graphene, a single layer of graphite and an excellent conductor of electricity....

Etch-A-Sketch Newest Chip Design Tool

Kevin Spak — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:57:01 CST

Imagine a computer chip that could literally have wires drawn onto it and erased like an etch-a-sketch. That’s what University of Pittsburgh researchers have been able to create, Technology Review reports. To demonstrate the technology, researchers drew the tip of an atomic force microscope across the chip like a pencil,...

Could the Silicon Chip Max Out?

Jim O'Neill — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 10:23:23 CST

It’s been 60 years since three Bell Lab scientists invented the transistor, launching an electronics revolution that changed the way we live. Engineers have miniaturized the powerful on-off switches—eventually integrated onto silicon chips—about as far as they can. Now, companies are pouring billions of dollars into research aimed...