WATCHING THE TUBES

摘要

For a couple decades, universities and research labs have been touting the wonders of carbon nanotubes, but it has seemed like -somehow - nothing practical ever emerges from the technology. Indeed, "Carbon nanotubes ... have largely been laboratory curiosities as far as microelectronic applications are concerned," noted a researcher at IBM Labs . However, IBM recently announced a breakthrough that defines a serviceable manufacturing process for carbon semiconductors that are cheaper and faster than silicon-based devices.