IBM, Stanford put new spin on chip research

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Spintronics makes me dizzy !

Seriously, I just read an article about using spintronics to re-
invent the transistor. Supposedly, in about 12 years when
electronic transistors slam into the Diminishing Returns/Heat
Buildup wall, Spintronics circuits could take over.

Instead of using electricity in a transistor, which generates heat
of course, use MagnetoResistance.

As you might guess, this would NOT look like a regular
transistor. The bonus would be that it would hold memory
without needing current -- the current flow that makes the heat
you don't want. The Spintronics transistor would only draw
current when the circuit flips, not constantly as usual transistors
do.

In microprocessors, data only holds as long as current flows,
since the memory has to be refreshed a thousand times a
second or so. That draws most of the current and makes heat.

The only downside I see is something called the Magnetic
Hysterisis effect. This being, that when you induce a magnetic
field in a ferromagnetic substance, it takes a fraction of a second
to discharge that field when the transistor needs to flip.

Remember Bubble Memory?

This persistence of the field means that while a lot cooler, a
spintronics transistor might also react slower.

Still, it would be great for storage. Not convinced it would be
great for building a microchip. Unless the developers find a
way to minimize the hysterisis delay.

Anyone read the bit last year that someone's found a way to lay
out circuits on plastic? Yes, plastic circuits. This implies that
the casing of your calculator could be part of the processor. Or
since video displays are important to the user interface, circuits
impressed in plastic devices could also drive a Light Emitting
Plastic display on the surface.

Okay, imagine this. You touch a button on the calculator, and
all the keys vanish and re-configure themselves as a Querty
keyboard.

Keyboards with their own displays on the buttons, changing
from English to Greek as the click of a mouse !

Posted by: Jkirk3279   Posted on: 04/27/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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