A replacement for the silicon transistor 鈥 the heart of the modern computer 鈥 may be closer than expected, thanks to a material discovered in the 16th century.
For the last 20 years, the number of transistors that can be fitted onto a computer chip has doubled about every two years. This trend can’t continue indefinitely, however, as shrinking silicon transistors down eventually makes them less efficient.
Recently a substance called 鈥 hexagonal arrays of carbon atoms in sheets one atom thick 鈥 has been touted as a promising alternative to silicon. One hundred times thinner than the smallest silicon transistor possible,…
