- Ballistic transistor
A ballistic transistor is a high-speed electronic switching device through which
electron s flow unimpeded, without being slowed down by collisions withatom s as they are in a conventionaltransistor . The ballistic transistor is (as of2004 ) still in the experimental stage of development.Two main techniques have emerged for creating a ballistic
MOSFET (a type offield-effect transistor ). The earliest idea was to control theoxidation process by which the insulating layer in the MOSFET, between the gate and the channel, is created, resulting in a smoother surface that allows electrons to flow faster. This approach is being investigated byLucent 'sBell Labs [http://www.bell-labs.com/news/1999/december/6/1.html] . A later, more radical, technique is to use atom-thincarbon sheets, calledgraphene . This has been shown to produceballistic conduction , but the performance of the resulting transistors has not been determined. This technique is being researched in a joint effort between theUniversity of Manchester in the UK and the Institute for Microelectronics Technology inChernogolovka , Russia [http://physicsweb.org/articles/news/8/10/13/1] .External links
* [http://www.rochester.edu/news/show.php?id=2585 Radical 'Ballistic Computing' Chip Bounces Electrons Around Like Billiards]
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