Skip to Content
Uncategorized

Transistor Theory Fundamentally Flawed

Incomplete understanding of noise in transistors will soon impede efforts to make low-power chips.

According to a new study, the theory electrical engineers have been using to design transistors is inadequate. Engineers have to think about noise when designing these tiny electrical switches; defects in the materials used to make them can disrupt the flow of electrons, causing them to appear to fluctuate between on and off states. The current theory predicts that as transistors get smaller, these fluctuations increase in frequency. Now researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) say this simply isn’t true.

The so-called elastic-tunneling model has worked well for a long time. However, the NIST researchers found that tinier transistors aren’t necessarily more error prone. That sounds like a good thing, but the researchers say it indicates a poor understanding of how transistors work in the first place. This lack of understanding could be problematic as engineers continue to miniaturize transistors in order to make cheaper, more powerful mobile devices.

The researchers found that while the fluctuation frequency doesn’t increase with miniaturization, it does increase as devices run out of power. This means that chips designed to run longer on less power will become more unreliable over time–a real problem for those hoping to install these chips in implantable medical devices like pacemakers.

These findings were presented at the IEEE International Conference on Integrated Circuit Design and Technology this week in Austin, TX.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.