A typical computer chip includes millions of transistors connected with an extensive network of copper wires. Although chip wires are unimaginably short and thin compared to household wires both have one thing in common: in each case the copper is wrapped within a protective sheath. For years a material called tantalum nitride has formed protective layer in chip wires.
Now Stanford-led experiments demonstrate that a different sheathing material, graphene, can help electrons scoot through tiny copper wires in chips more quickly.
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a strong yet thin lattice. Stanford electrical engineer H.-S. Philip Wong says this modest fix, using graphene to wrap wires, could allow transistors to exchange data faster than is currently possible. And the advantages of using graphene would become greater in the future as transistors continue to shrink.
"Researchers have made tremendous advances on all of the other components in chips but recently, there hasn't been much progress on improving the performance of the wires," he said.
http://phys.org/news/2015-06-simple-clever-boost-chip.html
(Score: 5, Funny) by jcross on Friday June 19 2015, @07:35PM
Local engineers make computers run faster with this one weird trick!
(Score: 2) by Mr Big in the Pants on Friday June 19 2015, @09:09PM
Except they have not made "computers" run faster. Until it is integrated into a production line this is just a theory.
And that missing part will be anything but simple...