Processors go cooler and faster

New chemical and nanoscale technologies could make faster and cooler computers

IBM scientists are working on new chemical and nanoscale technologies that could make faster and cooler computers than is possible with current silicon lithographic techniques, according to Dr Paul Seidler, head of science and technology at IBM’s Zurich Research Laboratory.

Nanoscale devices are usually defined as measuring 100 nanometers or less, or being between 10 and 1,000 atoms wide. A nanometer is a billionth of a metre.

Such devices are often made by combining traditional lithographic techniques with new methods of manufacturing. For example, nanowires are grown rather like crystals. Dr Heike Riel of IBM’s Zurich lab said nanowires can be grown by placing small amounts of gold or other conductor onto a silicon surface, which acts a catalyst.

The nanowires grow on the catalyst, and their width is defined by the dimensions of the catalyst. The resulting wires will have very smooth walls that will be perfectly aligned in a grid. In contrast, silicon structures made using traditional optical lithography have jagged walls, which become more noticeable as the dimensions decrease.

Seidler said that carbon nanotubes, molecular electronics and other new technologies could be used to dramatically reduce the power consumption and boost performance of forthcoming processors. Such technologies could also improve computing systems by enabling faster bus speeds and better storage systems.

For example, earlier this month IBM announced a world record in data density on linear magnetic tape. This was achieved by using a combination of nanoscale magnetic particles and giant magnetoresistive (GMR) head technologies.

GMR heads are already used in most modern hard disk drives, and use the spin of electrons to read data more efficiently than traditional magnetoresistive head designs.

Researchers at IBM’s Almaden Research Center in Silicon Valley stored 6.67 billion bits per square inch on a lab test unit. That data density is more than 15 times the data density of current tape systems.

IBM said it would take about five years for the new technology to be built into products, but the wait will probably be worth it. In five years a Linear Tape Open (LTO) tape system incorporating the new technology could hold about 8TB of uncompressed data – 20 times more than current LTO-3 drives.