Nanochemists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Nano-Science Center,
Department of Chemistry at University
of Copenhagen have developed nanoscale electric contacts out of organic
and inorganic nanowires. In the contact they have crossed the wires like Mikado
sticks and coupled several contacts together in an electric circuit. In this
way they have produced prototype computer electronics on the nanoscale.
 | | Researchers cross organic and non-organic nano wires like Mikado sticks and thereby make nanoscale prototype computer electronics. Image by Asmus Dohn |
Alternative to silicon computers
Today the foundation of our computers, mobile phones and other electronic apparatus
is silicon transistors. A transistor is in principal an on- and off- contact
and there are millions of tiny transistors on every computer chip. However,
we are reaching the limit for how small we can make transistors out of silicon.
We already use various organic materials in, for example, flat screens, such
as OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode). The new results show how small and advanced
devices made of organic materials can become.
Thomas Bjørnholm, Director of the Nano-Science Center, Department of
Chemistry at University of Copenhagen explains:
- We have succeeded in placing several transistors consisting of nanowires
together on a nano device. It is a first step towards realisation of future
electronic circuitry based on organic materials – a possible substitute
for today’s silicon-based technologies. This offers the possibility of
making computers in different ways in the future.
Danish-Chinese nanoelectronics
The researchers have used organic nanowires combined with the tin oxide nanowires
in a so-called hybrid circuit. As in a Mikado game, the nanowires cross in a
device consisting of 4-6 active transistor moieties. The devices have a low
operational current, high mobility and good stability and that is essential
in order for the material to be able to compete with silicon.
Professor Wenping Hu, Chinese Academy of Sciences is excited over the results:
- This work is the first significant result of our collaboration with the researchers
from the Nano-Science Center. It is a good starting point for our new Danish-Chinese
research centre for molecular nano-electronics and it underlines the fact that
we can complement each other and that together we can achieve exciting and important
results.
Posted August 17th, 2009
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