Then they zapped the ropes with an electric current powerful enough to destroy the metallic strands. We are still at the research level,'' said Avouris, a physicist who led the IBM group. Its report appeared Friday in the journal Science. Still, the team touted the development as an important step. We're not making products.
Nanotubes are just one of several candidates for the next generation of electronics.
Engineers figure they have about a decade before they run up against the physical limits of today's technology, beyond which they cannot make the working parts of a chip any smaller or faster. So they are desperately seeking alternatives. I'm not sure.