SAN JOSE, Calif. — IBM Corp. claims to have developed a device that incorporates an integrated circuit on a carbon nanotube. The technology could one day boost the speeds of next-generation chip products.
IBM has built a five-stage ring oscillator that comprises of 12 field-effect transistors (FET) side-by-side, along the length of an individual carbon nanotube, according to the journal Science, which is expected to be released on Friday (March 24).
“A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor-type architecture was achieved by adjusting the gate work functions of the individual p-type and n-type FETs used,” according to IBM.
The device combines the best of carbon nanotubes and FETs. “Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been shown to exhibit excellent electrical properties, such as ballistic transport over several hundred nanometers at room temperature,” according to IBM.
“Field-effect transistors made from individual tubes show dc performance specifications rivaling those of state-of-the-art silicon devices. An important next step is the fabrication of integrated circuits on SWCNTs to study the high-frequency ac capabilities of SWCNTs,” the company claimed.
