UB Engineers Prove That Carbon Nanotubes Are Superior to Metals for Electronics

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.buffalo.edu/news/9998

News Release

UB Engineers Prove That Carbon Nanotubes Are Superior to Metals for Electronics

"We are done with metals," says Cemal Basaran

Release Date: March 20, 2009

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- In the quest to pack ever-smaller electronic devices more densely with integrated circuits, nanotechnology researchers keep running up against some unpleasant truths: higher current density induces electromigration and thermomigration, phenomena that damage metal conductors and produce heat, which leads to premature failure of devices.

But University at Buffalo researchers who study electronics packaging recently made a pleasant discovery: that's not the case with Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWCNTs).

"Years ago, everyone thought that the problem of cooling for electronics could be solved," said Cemal Basaran, Ph.D., professor in the UB Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering and director of the Electronics Packaging Lab in UB's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. "Now we know that's not true. Electronics based on metals have hit a wall. We are done with metals."

Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes are extremely thin, hollow cylinders, measuring no thicker than a single atom. Thousands of times stronger than metals, they are expected to one day replace metals in millions of electronic applications.

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[hedgehog]

1. THis can't be right, isn't UB just a state school? I thought all important

discoveries were made at private institutions like Harvard and MIT!


(University at Buffalo, B.S Mechanical Engineer 1976)

[Taverner]

2. Ooooh baby, this means Moore's Law keeps steaming along

The holdup was the chip couldn't take getting anymore powerful because size - this fixes that

[DCKit]

3. Carbon-based computers - Then, before you know it....

[formercia]

4. The only problem

is finding people with small enough fingers to stuff the wires into the tubes.