IBM using DNA, nanotechnology in next-gen chips

By Sharon Gaudin

August 24, 2009 12:01 AM ET

Comments

(0)

Top Stories

Computerworld - Researchers at IBM are experimenting with a combination of DNA molecules and nanotechnology to create tiny circuits that could form the basis of smaller, more powerful and energy-efficient computer chips that also are easier and cheaper to manufacture.

IBM said last week that it's looking to use the DNA molecules as scaffolding so carbon nanotubes can assemble themselves into precise patterns.

The ability for the DNA structures to self-assemble would lead to greater precision in the design and manufacture of chips, said Greg Wallraff, an IBM Research scientist working on the project. He noted that implementation is still years away.

Dan Olds, an analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group Inc., said that "harnessing biological processes and building blocks" could significantly cut chip-building costs.

This version of this story originally appeared in Computerworld's print edition.

Read more about hardware in Computerworld's Hardware Knowledge Center.

Comment Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

ibm

Additional Resources

WHITE PAPER

EFD vs. HDD - What You Need to Know

Enterprise flash drives provide a new Tier 0 storage layer capable of delivering high I/O performance at a very low latency. Proper use of EFDs in an Oracle environment can deliver increased performance compared to fibre channel drives. Read the recommendations for identification of the best DB components for EFDs.

WHITE PAPER

Gartner Research Report: Magic Quadrant for Application Delivery Controllers, 2009

The market for products to improve the delivery of application software over networks remains dynamic and innovative. Vendors focused on solving enterprises' most-pressing application problems have become the top players.

WHITE PAPER

Eight Criteria for Server Load Balancing

Server load balancers are a simple yet highly effective means to scale an application environment while ensuring its availability. Today's solutions should also address application performance and security. Read about the top eight criteria you should consider when choosing a server load balancer and how Citrix NetScaler meets those requirements.