A switch in focus
How molecular computing may solve the electronics industry’s scaling problems. By Graham Pitcher.
Moore’s Law has driven the semiconductor industry forwards for decades. The Law, developed by Intel cofounder Gordon Moore, is an encapsulation of the industry’s momentum – in which the number of transistors on a given area of silicon doubles every 18months.
The problem with Moore’s Law is that it has a finite limit. If the industry keeps on scaling its production processes at the current rate, the Laws of Physics will come into play. What that means is silicon scaling will run into a physical wall.
So it’s no surprise to discover that researchers have been looking for ways around this approaching roadblock. One of the approaches which is being pursued vigorously in labs around the world is nanotechnology.
