Graphene Transistors Clocked At 26GHz 174
KentuckyFC writes "A team at IBM has built the first high quality graphene transistors and clocked them running at 26 GHz . That doesn't quite knock silicon off its perch. The fastest silicon transistors are an order of magnitude faster than that but the record is held by indium phosphide transistors which have topped 1000 GHz. But it's not bad for a new kid on the block. It took silicon 40 years to get this far. By contrast, the first graphene transistor was built only last year. IBM says 'the work represents a significant step towards the realization of graphene-based electronics.' (Abstract)."
Digital switching or signal amplification? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's a lot harder to get a switching transistor (for digital circuitry) to operate at high speeds than for a transistor to show gain as an RF amplifier.
26 GHz is incredible for switching circuitry, but it's nothing if you're talking RF signals nowadays. I'm guessing that this was an RF amp given the comments of other transistors being faster in the article summary.
There is a comment about "clocked at" which implies digital switching, but that could easily be a clueless journalist that has no idea of the difference between transistors in clocked digital circuitry and transistors as RF amplifiers.
Re:Practical limit (Score:2, Insightful)
The GP is suggesting that at some point that almost becomes very real and very important.
Re:Are we getting into light spectrum territory no (Score:5, Insightful)
You mean photon? We know a hell of a lot more about photons than "it's not an electron".
Don't confuse you not knowing what a photon is with physicists not knowing what a photon is. Don't confuse not knowing what something "is" with the inability to make working devices with them.
Re:in other words (Score:2, Insightful)
+1 Most beautiful use of inequalities
Re:Why? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:What Is the Clock Made of? (Score:3, Insightful)
Sarcasm is hard to do online.
Re:Artificial Intelligence, Here We Come! (Score:1, Insightful)
The limit isn't computer hardware, it's our understanding. You can have infinitely fast hardware but without the algorithms to use on it, you'll never have an artificial intelligence.
Re:Practical limit (Score:5, Insightful)
You're right that it's not the speed of an electron that matters.
However, according to relativity, information itself cannot propagate faster than the speed of light. Using your "billiards" analogy, even though the cue ball doesn't have to make it across the table, the 8 ball can't "know" (or in any way react to the fact) that the cue ball started moving any sooner than an object, moving at the speed of light, could cross the table.
The speed of light is fast, but on the timescales we're discussing it does not translate to "almost instantaneous".
Re:Practical limit (Score:3, Insightful)
I've heard this argued both ways about gravity, and I don't disbelieve what you're saying; but it's a bit off-topic since transistors don't operate on gravity.
Re:Yes but... (Score:1, Insightful)
I can't wait to play Duke Nukem Forever on a beowulf cluster of hot graphene transistors (running Linux) poured down my pants by Natalie Portman (naked and petrified) in the Year of Linux on the desktop. It'll be just like swapping out a v8 for a Mr. Fusion device. In Soviet Russia, 1) Profit! 2) ??? 3) You!
And it STILL won't run Crysis, OR Vista. Developers, developers, developers...
Re:Why? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Are we getting into light spectrum territory no (Score:3, Insightful)
Don't confuse not knowing what something "is" with the inability to make working devices with them.
But... nobody knows exactly what the meaning of "is" is.