Graphene Chip Could Reach 1,000 Gigahertz
MIT researchers claim that an experimental material called graphene may be able to boost the clock speed of computer chips into the 500-GHz to 1,000-GHz range.
According to a report issued by the MIT news office last week, the research findings will be discussed in a paper in the May issue of Electron Device Letters. They also were described last week at the American Physical Society meeting by Tomas Palacios, assistant professor in MIT's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS).
Graphene is a form of pure carbon that was identified in 2004. It's essentially a one-atom-thick honeycomb lattice of carbon. Since the discovery of graphene, researchers at various institutions have been exploring possible uses for the substance. Palacios believes it will play a key role in future electronics.
