Researchers at Hewlett Packard utilize coding theory and propose a future design for nanotech circuits.
The process could bring forth a low cost, high yield process to make circuits in the future with HP’s “crossbar” technology. Details on the process appear in the June 6 issue of Nanotechnology.
“We have invented a completely new way of designing an electronic interconnect for nano-scale circuits using coding theory, which is commonly used in today’s digital cell phone systems and in deep-space probes,” said Stan Williams, HP Senior Fellow and director, Quantum Science Research at HP Labs.
Dr. Williams said he believes future chips will have to rely, at least in part, on the crossbar architecture, in which a set of parallel nanoscale wires are laid atop another set of parallel wires at approximately a 90 degree angle, sandwiching a layer of electrically switchable material in between.
Where the material becomes trapped between the crossing wires, they can form a switch that represents a “1” or “0,” the basic building blocks of computer code. But the disadvantage of crossbars is that they require more space on the silicon substrate.
“We think the tradeoff of space versus manufacturing ease will become more an issue in the near future,” said Dr. Williams.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
