IBM unveils research breakthroughs in graphene, Racetrack and carbon nanotubes

The announcement was made at the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington. IBM disclosed the first ever cmos compatible graphene device that could advance wireless communications and enable new, high frequency devices, which can operate under adverse temperature and radiation conditions. Potential applications include security and medical. The graphene integrated circuit, a frequency multiplier, is operational up to 5GHz and stable up to 200°C. While detailed thermal stability still needs to be evaluated, IBM said the results are promising for graphene circuits to be used in high temperature environments. Instead of trying to deposit gate dielectric on an inert graphene surface, the researchers have developed a novel embedded gate structure that enables high device yield on a 200mm wafer. According to IBM, Racetrack memory combines the benefits of magnetic hard drives and solid state memory to overcome challenges of growing memory demands and shrinking devices. Proving this type of memory is feasible, IBM researchers are detailing the first Racetrack memory device integrated with cmos technology on 200mm wafers, culminating seven years of physics research. The researchers demonstrated both read and write functionality on an array of 256 in plane, magnetised horizontal racetracks. This development could lay the foundation for further improving Racetrack memory's density and reliability using perpendicular magnetised racetracks and three dimensional architectures. The breakthrough could also lead to a new type of datacentric computing that allows massive amounts of stored information to be accessed in less than a billionth of a second. IBM researchers also demonstrated the first transistor with sub 10nm channel lengths, outperforming the best competing silicon based devices at these length scales. While already being considered in varied applications ranging from solar cells to displays, it is expected that computers within the next decade will use transistors with a channel length below 10nm, a length scale at which conventional silicon technology will have extreme difficulty performing even with new advanced device architectures. The scaled carbon nanotube devices below 10nm gate length are a significant breakthrough for future applications in computing technology. While often associated with improving switching speed (on state), IBM says this breakthrough demonstrates for the first time that carbon nanotubes can provide excellent off state behaviour in extremely scaled devices - better than what some theoretical estimates of tunneling current suggested. TC Chen, vice president, Science and Technology, IBM Research, said: "Throughout its history, IBM's continued investment in scientific research to identify new materials and processes has not only extended current technologies but is providing a sustainable technology foundation for tomorrow. Today's breakthroughs challenge the status quo by exploring the boundaries of science and transforming that knowledge into information technology systems that could advance the power and capability of businesses worldwide."