The world's fastest silicon-based microchip has been demonstrated by scientists in the US.
The prototype operates at speeds up to
500 gigahertz (GHz), more than 100 times faster than desktop PC chips. To break the world record, the researchers from IBM and the Georgia Institute of Technology had to super-cool the chip with liquid helium.
The team believe the device could eventually speed up wireless networks and develop cheaper mobile phones. "Faster and faster chips open up new applcations and reduce costs for exisitng products," said Professor David Ahlgren of IBM.
At the moment, most microchips are made from silicon. But in recent years, there has been a realisation that silicon cannot match other materials in terms of processing speed.
For applications that require huge amounts of calculations every second, like collision warning systems in cars and trucks, companies use exotic materials to produce the necessary power. Materials like gallium arsenide are commonly used, but are expensive and difficult to fabricate.
However, the chip industry would like to continue to use proven silicon manufacturing technology that is reliable and cheap. The new experiments were part of a project to explore the speed limits of devices made of silicon and germanium.
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