Scientists Achieve Record-Breaking Electrical Speed in Germanium Chips, Opening Door to Ultra-Fast Quantum and AI Processors
Summary
Scientists achieve record-breaking electrical speed in germanium chips, with charge carriers moving 15 times faster than silicon, potentially revolutionizing quantum computing and AI processors while dramatically reducing energy consumption and cooling requirements.
Key Points
- Scientists at University of Warwick and National Research Council of Canada achieve record-breaking hole mobility in compressively strained germanium grown on silicon, reaching 7.15 million cm2 per volt-second compared to ~450 in industrial silicon
- Germanium, originally used in 1950s transistors, makes a comeback as researchers create nanometer-thin germanium layers that allow electrical charge to travel faster than ever while remaining compatible with current silicon chip manufacturing
- The breakthrough opens pathways for ultra-fast, low-power electronics with applications in quantum computing, AI processors, and data centers that require reduced energy consumption and cooling demands