How Fast Can an Atom be moved?

Atoms are the smallest particles characterizing chemical elements. Today IBM have the possibility of measuring the force it takes to move an atom from point A to point B across any surface. IBM themselves are not direct chip manufacturers and moving an atom is not that amazing but according to IBM's researchers it will lead to a great breakthrough in nanotechnology. The interesting thing is that figuring out how much force it takes to move an atom is the equivalent of engineers discerning how much force it takes to move a steel beam. IBM is exploring the limits. They understand that it is necessary to develop much smaller computer chips which will produce a greater performance and resistance.

Nanotechnology is pretty useful and the focus now, at least for computational technology companies such as IBM is using this technology for enhancing computer chips. That's why IBM is one of a number of companies experimenting and using nanotechnology for this very reason. They are also in the process of researching how small and fast they can produce a chip that is able to create substantial processing.

The main problem is that as computer chips become smaller; maintaining the current amount of processing power causes the chips to heat up immensely. The warming of these chips is something that could be a problem but the IBM scientist's are working hard in order to bring a solution. Other companies such as Intel and AMD will have to find better ways to keep those chips from becoming as hot as rocket nozzles.

The manufacturing of computer chips is continually being improved with better designs with more densely packed circuits, transistors and other electronic components. The number of transistors per chip has been doubling every 18 months or so, in line with a general principle called Moore's law. As performance increases, however, so does heat generation, particularly in small hot spots. These hot spots not only hinder performance, but also could damage or destroy delicate circuitry. This means new cooling methods will be required for more powerful computers in the future.

At present there are many reasons that heat in computer chips are common and becoming an increasing problem. The life span of a chip is determined by how hot it becomes. The costs of maintain a chip at a cool enough temperature obviously is higher because they have to use more technology and case fans. The economical and technological aspect is very important because more power is being used by much more powerful fans to cool the chips and the costs of these fans are becoming increasingly high as they become much more complex and powerful.

With the wise use of nanotechnology mechanism's, IBM hope to solve this problem whilst also decreasing the cost of keeping these increasingly smaller computer chips alive for longer. Some experts say that is possible to insert carbon nano-tubes into the electronic devices to make them much cooler and solve this problem. More over Researchers at the 'Birck Nanotechnology Center' have demonstrated this new technology using tiny "ionic wind engines" that will capable improve dramatically the computer chip cooling, possibly addressing a looming threat to future advances in computers and electronics.

According to Suresh Garimella a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University 'This new revolutionary breakthrough focused in cooling technology possibly will be introduced within three years if researchers are able to miniaturize it and make systems more reliable'. As the technology is further developed, such cooling devices might be integrated into portable consumer electronics products, including cell phones.

In this direction the Professor Garimella also argued: 'The next step in the research will be to reduce the size of components within the device from the scale of millimeters to microns, or millionths of a meter. Miniaturizing the technology will be critical to applying the method to computers and consumer electronics, allowing the device to operate at lower voltage and to cool small hot spots'. The great challenge for scientists is reducing the risks of increasing temperatures in computer chips. It's difficult but apparently quite possible to achieve with scientific team work and in-depth research.

By: Hector Nicolas Suero
NanoVip - Staff Writer