Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 3, 2008 1:24:25 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

silicon

silicon news stories

4 Stories

World's Smallest Transistor Sets Path to Better Chips

Newfound material could replace silicon

BBC BBC Apr 18, 08 2:27 PM CDT
(Newser) - Scientists in England have created the world’s smallest transistor, the BBC reports. At 1 atom thick and 10 atoms wide, it could be the key to creating microchips beyond the power of silicon. The transistor is made of graphene, a single layer of graphite and an excellent conductor of electricity. And unlike with silicon, the smaller a graphene transistor is, the faster it works. More »

More about:  computer • electricity • computer chip • computer hardware • semiconductor • transistor • silicon

 New Electronics 
 Can Stretch, Fold 

Bendable circuits perform as well as rigid circuitry

MIT Technology Review MIT Technology Review Mar 28, 08 1:42 PM CDT
(Newser) - New research showing that it’s possible to make stretchable, bendable complex electrical circuits could open the door to wearable computers and to health-monitoring systems that can be implanted, Technology Review reports. Previous bendable circuitry was too slow for complex computing, but the new circuits, of ultra-thin silicon on plastic or rubber, perform as well as traditional rigid ones. More »

Silicon Could Convert Waste Heat Into Power

New nanowires add to chip tech's bag of tricks

MIT Technology Review MIT Technology Review Jan 14, 08 11:41 AM CST
(Newser) - Silicon could turn heat into electricity for cheaper than current technologies based on other materials, reports Technology Review . Researchers made nanowires out of silicon so that it would conduct electricity, but not heat. Normal silicon conducts both very well. The specially-made wires, however, convert heat applied at one end to electricity at the other end. More »

More about:  solar energy • nanotechnology • silicon

IBM Scrapes Silicon Scraps

Water-based abrasion technique avoids chemicals; recycles silicon for solar panels

CNET CNET Oct 30, 07 10:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - IBM has developed an eco-friendly way of recycling silicon for eco-friendly solar panels. Semiconductor chipmakers often sell used silicon too thin for computing to solar panel manufacturers. Until now, they’ve used abrasive chemicals or a spray of glass beads to erase circuits from the chips. IBM plans to share the technique with other chipmakers, but hasn’t announced specifics. More »

More about:  IBM • recycling • solar energy • Texas Instruments • silicon • semiconductor chip

4 Stories

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »