Imagine patterning and visualizing silicon at the atomic level, something which, if done successfully, will revolutionize the quantum and classical computing industry. A team of scientists in Edmonton, Canada has done just that, led by a world-renowned physicist and his up-and-coming protégé.
University of Alberta PhD student Taleana Huff teamed up with her supervisor Robert Wolkow to channel a technique called atomic force microscopy—or AFM—to pattern and image electronic circuits at the atomic level. This is the first time the powerful technique has been applied to atom-scale fabrication and imaging of a silicon surface, notoriously difficult because the act of applying the technique risks damaging the silicon. However, the reward is worth the risk, because this level of control could stimulate the revolution of the technology industry.
“It’s kind of like braille,” explains Huff. “You bring the atomically sharp tip really close to the sample surface to simply feel the atoms by using the forces that naturally exist among all materials.”
One of the problems with working at the atomic scale is the risk of perturbing the thing you are measuring by the act of measuring it. Huff, Wolkow, and their research collaborators have largely overcome those problems and as a result can now build by moving individual atoms around: most importantly, those atomically defined structures result in a new level of control over single electrons.
This is the first time that the powerful AFM technique has been shown to see not only the silicon atoms but also the electronic bonds between those atoms. Central to the technique is a powerful new computational approach that analyzes and verifies the identity of the atoms and bonds seen in the images. “We couldn’t have performed these new and demanding computations without the support of Compute Canada. This combined computation and measurement approach succeeds in creating a foundation for a whole new generation of both classical and quantum computing architectures,” says Wolkow.
He has his long-term sights set on making ultra-fast and ultra-low-power silicon-based circuits, potentially consuming ten thousand times less power than what is on the market.
Learn more:Â The ultimate green technology: Creating computers that use 10,000 times less energy
[osd_subscribe categories=’electronic-circuits’ placeholder=’Email Address’ button_text=’Subscribe Now for any new posts on the topic “ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS”‘]
Receive an email update when we add a new ELECTRONIC CIRCUITSÂ article.
The Latest on: Electronic circuits
[google_news title=”” keyword=”electronic circuits” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
via Google News
The Latest on: Electronic circuits
- Photonic Integrated Circuits Benefit Greatly From AI Data Center Demand, but Other Applications Are Now Emerging, Says IDTechExon May 17, 2024 at 6:46 am
Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) are tiny optical systems made of materials ... unlocking higher performance than what is possible with electronic accelerators alone. PIC-based Sensors: Certain PIC ...
- Efficient Electronicson May 16, 2024 at 12:07 am
Reducing energy consumption involves striking a balance between universal and highly specialized architectures.
- Electronics Industry Sentiment Falls in Mayon May 15, 2024 at 11:39 am
BANNOCKBURN, IL – Sentiment among electronics manufacturers fell this month after hitting a new high in April, but still remains historically high, according to IPC’s May Sentiment of the Global ...
- Lighting the path: Scientists unveil radical approach to optical circuit designon May 15, 2024 at 3:08 am
However, researchers are now exploring optical circuits driven by photons, offering significant enhancements in speed and performance. A recent study introduces a scalable and flexible quantum ...
- Mouser Electronics and Vishay Examine Battery Management Solutions in New eBookon May 14, 2024 at 6:22 am
Mouser Electronics, Inc., the authorized global distributor with the newest semiconductors and electronic components, has released a new eBook in collaboration with Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., ...
- Waterford knitting and crochet enthusiasts spearhead futuristic electronic textileson May 13, 2024 at 5:00 pm
Project lead, Aileen Drohan, said Yarning Connections was a huge success. “It was a fantastic, collaborative exploration of the integration of simple electronic circuits in knitting and crochet with ...
- DuPont Showcases AI Innovations Featuring Advanced Interconnects at 2024 International Electronic Circuits Exhibitionon May 13, 2024 at 6:50 am
NYSE:DD) DuPont Showcases AI Innovations Featuring Advanced Interconnects at 2024 International Electronic Circuits Exhibition ...
- Flexible Electronics Market to Witness Robust Expansion Throughout the Forecast Period 2023 – 2032on May 10, 2024 at 12:15 am
Allied Market Research, titled, “Flexible Electronics Market by Component and Application: Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2023-2032”, The flexible electronics market was valued at ...
- Electronic Components Market to Reach $1.0 trillion, Globally, by 2032 at 6.9% CAGR: Allied Market Researchon May 9, 2024 at 8:46 am
Flexible Electronics Market valued at $26.2 billion in 2022, and is projected to reach $57.3 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 8.2% Electronic Shelf Label Market valued at $825.1 million in 2021, ...
via Bing News