integrated circuits

Overheard - DNA origami

“At IBM, scientists are investigating the possibility of using structures made of DNA strings as buildings blocks for future microchip designs. The structures, dubbed ‘DNA origami,’ self assemble onto lithographic templates which can lead to manufacturing of circuit features down to 22 nanometers.” MedGadget, IBM’s DNA Origami May Lead to New Computer Chip Design

Overheard: Back to the future with graphene

Companies like Intel have a roadmap to reduce the size of circuits on the silicon wafer, down to about 10 nanometres - 10,000 times smaller than the width of a single human hair. Darren Waters, Nano switch hints at future chips

The transistor, essentially an on/off switch, has been made using graphene, a two-dimensional material first discovered only four years ago.

Graphene is a single layer of graphite, which is found in the humble pencil.

Overheard: Memristor is ultimate unifying storage technology

The Memristor is the [so called] fourth basic circuit device after the capacitor, the resistor and the inductor. Like the capacitor, the Memristor has a memory; it remembers the amount of charge that goes through it and will change its resistance according to the amount of charge that flowed through it… Desire Athow, HP boffins design Memristor device; could replace DRAM technology one day

The technology called Memory Resistor or Memristor could bring forth a new generation of computer which would power-on instantly [no boot required] and could be used to process information in a similar fashion as the human brain. More importantly, it could mean that HP has discovered the ultimate, “unifying” storage technology, which combines DRAM and Magnetic storage properties.