An Indian scientist living and working in the United States has discovered a new material that may make computers, phones and all electronics faster.
Inside all computers, cell phones and most electronics is a tiny transistor – this ‘chip’ is the brain of the device. Most chips are made of 3D material like silicon. These have three dimensions (3D) – they have length, breath and thickness.
Professor Ashutosh Tiwari and his team at the University of Utah have discovered a new material made of tin and oxygen which is a 2 D material like paper. This is so thin – it is measured only by length and breadth and not thickness – that the operations within the chip happen much faster. For those who are mechanically minded, here is the science – silicon chips have a certain thickness as a result of which the electrons inside bounce around a lot. In 2D chips, such movement is limited, hence they are faster. This could lead to computers and devices that work faster, and handle many programs at the same time.
“Because the electrons move through one layer instead of bouncing around in a 3D material, there will be less friction, meaning the processors will not get as hot as normal computer chips,” the researchers said. They will also require much less power to run, which is very important for mobile devices that have to run on battery power.