Atom Computers ? Benefiting from Nanotechnology

Atom Computers ? Benefiting from Nanotechnology

Atom Computers – Benefiting from Nanotechnology

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Home Page > Computers > Atom Computers – Benefiting from Nanotechnology

Atom Computers – Benefiting from Nanotechnology

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Posted: Nov 09, 2009 |Comments: 0

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Computers of the future will use atoms instead of chips for memory. That’s a simplified way of saying that within the next few years, we can expect miniaturization to go

Nanotechnology Will Improve Computer Efficiency and Power

Nanotechnology Will Improve Computer Efficiency and Power

The next 10 years promises to be an exciting period in the history of computers and networks as nanotechnology takes off to redefine a new level in the way computers are manufactured. It’s not entirely radical as the Lithographic principles behind the manufacturing process can be adopted for nanotech processes. What is revolutionary are the minute molecular-level sizes at which those circuit boards can now be made. This is the core of nanotech – derived from the Greek nano which means tiny. And in this case, we’re talking molecular tiny. In quantitative scientific terms, “tiny” is in the area of a billionth of a meter or around 1/500th the width of a hair strand. That’s “nano” mathematically.

Nanotechnology in Computers

Nanotechnology ushers in a more meaningful and useful age of miniaturization. The Integrated Chip of the 70s did the same thing that was seminal in manufacturing increasingly smaller chips that now power our cellphones and computers. But they have their limits and we have reached that.

With molecule-sized nanotech based manufacturing of processor chips, memory modules and storage devices, these limits can be breached that will eventually bring two things: (1) more powerful, more cost-effective and more power-efficient computers across all platforms, from mainframes down to laptops; and (2) smaller computer footprints for the same power and efficiencies we currently have.

- Nanotech Microprocessors

With greater transistor densities, processor chips these days have grown so powerful that they require more effective cooling systems employing fans and even water-based coolants usually reserved in mainframes. Lithographic technologies that create those wafer thin circuits containing millions of etched transistors have reached practical limits. Nanotechnology’s molecular-level lithography is the next step. Not only will it produce more powerful computer engines, it can make them operate cooler and with less bulk. Associated circuits in the motherboards and even add-on daughterboards like video graphics and sound processors can be integrated into smaller boards so that computers over the next decade can be no larger than the largest cell phones of today.

- Nanomemories

Memory modules in the 1GB to 2GB range are becoming common these days. Even cellphones have memories in that magnitude. But just like processor chips, you have a manufacturing limit to contend with which bears down on the maximum speed, size and powering efficiency of memory chips. Over the next few years, more powerful RAM with higher capacities and speeds but lower costs can be made from nonmagnetic technology.

- Solid State ”hard drives”

Disk drives have likewise reach the size and capacity limits. If you look at your flash drives now commonly sporting 4, 8 and 16 GB capacities, they are all solid state storage devices that hold the promise of greater storage capacities and efficiencies in computers.

They are also immune to physical shocks or mechanical crashes that hard disks are prone to suffer. But they are expensive to produce and have the highest costs per megabyte of memory compared with a 1Terrabyte hard disk we have at this time. Nanotechnology should take care of that. Expect nanotech-based flash drive technology to evolve with higher memory capacity that will eventually make it more cost effective to replace current electro-mechanical hard drives. GP

There’s only one source of renewable energy that can provide all of the world’s needs and that’s the Sun. In fact, enough sunlight falls on the Earth’s surface in just a couple of hours each day to meet the whole world’s energy needs for one year. The question is: how can we effectively and economically harness this solar energy, without mass-producing very expensive conventional solar cells, which would ultimately require vast tracts of land in order to do their job? Nanotechnology could provide the answer in the form of a new kind of solar cell, one which would be relatively inexpensive to manufacture and highly flexible in design. In fact, you maybe surprised as to just how flexible these cells might be! Find out more by watching this movie. This is one of a selection of intriguing movies which are available for free download from the EPSRC Nanotechnology Image Library at : www.nanoscience.dept.shef.ac.uk You may also be interested in navigating to the “Soft Machines” site belonging to Professor Richard Jones – who features in this movie – for up-to-date discourse on all things nano. Here’s the link : www.softmachines.org

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