InfoSearched
Published -
- February 8, 2020
- 9:12 am
A look inside a new precision machine that wants to reinvent the chip making industry.
An integrated circuit, or chip, is one of the biggest innovations of the 20th century. The microchip launched a technological revolution, created Silicon Valley, and everyone’s got one in their pocket (read: smartphones).
When you zoom in on one of these chips, you find a highly complex, nanoscale-sized city that’s expertly designed to send information back and forth.
And chip manufacturers continue to shrink the size of microchips, hitting smaller and smaller milestones while also increasing the number of features a chip has. The result is an improved overall processing power.
This is what’s been driving the semiconductor industry—a drumbeat called Moore’s Law.
Moore’s Law is the golden rule in computing: The number of transistors on a microchip can be expected to double every two years, while the cost of computers is cut in half. This basically means we’ll have more speed, at less cost, over time. And so, we’ve been shrinking transistors (the tiny electric switches that process data for everything from clocks to AI algorithms) down to really, really tiny nanoscales.
And though we’ve hit a physical limit on how small these transistors can get, Intel (and a couple other competitors, like Samsung and TSMC) are betting big on something new: EUV Lithography.
Find out more about this next generation of chip technology that is taking Moore’s Law to a new level on this episode of Focal Point.
“The giant machine garnering all this attention is an extreme ultraviolet lithography tool. For more than a decade, the semiconductor-manufacturing industry has been alternately hoping EUV can save Moore’s Law and despairing that the technology will never arrive. But it’s finally here, and none too soon.”
Our scientific understanding of the universe is advancing at an unprecedented rate. Join Focal Point as we meet the people building tomorrow’s world. Witness the astonishing discoveries that will propel humanity forward and zero-in on the places where science-fiction becomes science-reality.
The Extreme Physics Pushing Moore’s Law to the Next Level
Moore’s Law, named after Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, is the observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles every 18 to 24 months, which results in a remarkable increase in computing power. This principle has held true for the past few decades and is the foundation of the modern technological age we live in. However, one might wonder if there is a limit to Moore’s Law.
The answer is not a straightforward one, as there are physical limitations that challenge the progress of the technology industry. Experts suggest that the density of transistors on a chip will eventually have to hit a plateau, beyond which it might not be possible to keep up with the rule of doubling every two years.
Nonetheless, recent advances in research have opened up new doors for further progress in computing technology. Scientists have been exploring new techniques for fabricating and manipulating atoms and molecules, with the help of extreme physics, to develop cutting-edge technologies such as quantum computing, spintronics, and photonic computing.
Quantum computers, in particular, use the quirks of quantum mechanics to do calculations that classical computers cannot perform at a reasonable pace. With the potential to redefine the entire technological landscape, quantum computing holds the promise of solving complex problems in medicine, finance, security, and other fields that are presently beyond the scope of conventional computers.
Spintronics is another area of research that is looking into using the intrinsic spin of electrons for computing. Spin-based devices offer several advantages over traditional CMOS transistors, due to their intrinsic nonvolatility, ultra-low power consumption, and compatibility with silicon technology.
Lastly, photonic computing is a promising alternative to traditional electronic-based computing. Photonic chips, fueled by lasers or light, have the potential to provide faster and more efficient communication between the different components of a computer.
All these areas of research are still in their infancy, and therefore, it remains difficult to predict with certainty the eventual impact on computing power. Nonetheless, the progress and discoveries in these fields are promising, and the scientific community is optimistic about the potential outcomes.
In conclusion, the future of computing technology is bright, with numerous emerging techniques, such as quantum computing, spintronics, and photonic computing. These technologies rely on extreme physics to push Moore’s Law to the next level, beyond the traditional capacity of CMOS transistors. The potential outcomes are enormous, with the capacity to address some of the most significant challenges in science, engineering, and daily life. It is a thrilling time to be part of the computing industry, and the possibilities are seemingly limitless.
