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This story is from the category Pure Research
Posted by: Site Administration Date posted: 25/08/2004 A replacement for silicon in computer chips has finally been discovered, as a counterpoint to the ever-increasing heat issues. Silicon chips can malfunction at high temperatures, often from heat generated by their own circuitry. But experts have now overcome the flaws that plague crystals of silicon carbide, a hard compound that is more resistant to heat than silicon. Silicon carbide (SiC) could be used to make electronic devices that can operate at high power, in fierce heat or at lethal doses of radiation. Hopefully the latter won't be common in most home systems. Scientists from Toyota Central R&D Labs and Denso Corporation have developed a new way of making silicon carbide crystals that lead to the production of larger and more reliable wafers of this material. Silicon carbide has been known about for decades. However, it always used to be prone to 'micropipes', hexagonal tube-like cavities that damage any circuitry placed where they grow, and cause chips to fail. Kazumasa Takatori of Toyota and his colleagues found a solution by growing the crystals in several different stages. At each stage, the crystal is carefully rotated so that the solidifying compound crystallises on the best, least-blemished face. Building these up like lego bricks, results in virtually imperfection-free chips. See the full Story via external site: news.bbc.co.uk Most recent stories in this category (Pure Research): 08/08/2010: Roadmap for robot helpers |
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