What future technology will allow us to make computer chips smaller than 1 nm?

Well, if we knew, we'd already be making them that small. I think perhaps we should pass the 22nm threshold and go from there. Unfortunately, achieving 22nm in volume manufacturing has proven rather elusive thus far. The smaller we go, the more difficult it is to accurately deposit the metals and control the reactions in the chambers, hence there are issues with the chips gates and patterns.

It's a future technology. It hasn't been invented yet.

Perhaps by the time we surpass the 1nm barrier, we won't be making "chips" based off silicon wafers. Perhaps by that time we will have moved on to optoelectronic, spintronic, or quantum components which require a non-traditional manufacturing process.

 

To reiterate what has already been said: who knows?

Perhaps by the time we surpass the 1nm barrier, we won't be making "chips" based off silicon wafers.

 

But what methods are there for surpassing the 1 nm barrier? Will nanoelectronics cut it or is nanoelectronics only useful down to 1 nanometer?

But what methods are there for surpassing the 1 nm barrier? Will nanoelectronics cut it or is nanoelectronics only useful down to 1 nanometer?

 

There are limits of fabrication processes near the 1-10 nm region, and there's the new and different behavior of circuitry when the wires are only a few atoms wide. People are no doubt working on these and other related issues right now.

There are limits of fabrication processes near the 1-10 nm region, and there's the new and different behavior of circuitry when the wires are only a few atoms wide. People are no doubt working on these and other related issues right now.

 

But what is the new behavior? Also is this research field belonging to solid state physics?

Edited September 28, 200916 yr by Uri

Remember that 1 nm is only about 6 atoms in a row. For example, an average C-C bond is 0.154 nm. A quick google search for Si bond lengths suggests that those are in the same range, and possibly a little larger.

According to Wikipedia nanoelectronics holds the promise of making computer processors more powerful than are possible with conventional semiconductor fabrication techniques.

 

A number of approaches are currently being researched, including new forms of nanolithography, as well as the use of nanomaterials such as nanowires or molecular logic gates in place of traditional CMOS components. Field effect transistors have been made using both semiconducting carbon nanotubes and with heterostructured semiconductor nanowires.

 

More on this topic:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanoelectronics

http://www.tutorialsweb.com/nanotech/page-5.htm

http://www.springerlink.com/content/p1l7m7x66075741g/