Scientists Have Created a Transistor That’s Just One Atom Thick

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]When the transistor was first invented it changed the world and led to the development of computers, smartphones and the internet. Without these little devices our world would be a very different place.

Since then, the transistor has been getting smaller and smaller and cheaper and cheaper to manufacture. Now though, science has gone mental and created a transistor that’s just one atom thick.

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These transistors are made of something called ‘silicene’, which is apparently nothing like silly string, but rather is a nano-material that might well play a big part in our future. Silicene is very similar to graphene but is more interesting in terms of computer science because it has a silicone base meaning that it can form ‘band gaps’. These are crucial for transistors.

Unfortunately, the first chip created lasted only a couple of minutes due to instability. However, this is still a remarkable accomplishment, particularly as silicene was only a theoretical substance until very recently.

one atom thick diagram

Eventually this could lead to the creation of even more tiny computers and machines and the ‘internet of things’ that we have been promised for a while now. At the same time, it could help us to pack even more computing power into larger machines.

Source – Engadget via Nature[/vc_column_text]

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