News - NASA scientists have created 460GHz vacuum tubes

[HEXUS]

Because solid state transistors seem to be reaching their limits.

Read more.

[LeetyMcLeet]

So our CPU's of the future could be the size of power supplies?
...as long as we can overclock 'em

[peterb]

Well, not thermionic devices, although when transistors were first developed, it was never thought possible that they would switch at more than a few MHz And for very high power (MWatts at RF frequencies,) thermionic devices are still top dog - for now.

But, interesting developments to take 'conventional' switching technology to higher speeds - and I use the term conventional to differentiate from alternatives like quantum computing.

[g8ina]

When you consider that ONE valve = ONE maybe TWO transistors ....

You're gonna need a power station just to run DOS.

[peterb]

Yes, but they aren't really vacuum tubes. No heated cathodes and the current will be tiny, so the heat generation that you got from the kinetic energy of the electrons hitting the anodes at sped won't be there as the transition distance is so small.

[ik9000]

well they rely on helium. Another good reason the US government needs to stop selling it off for tupence.

[CompanionCube]

I just hope it won't have the problem of loosing vacuum over the years, as vacuum tubes have.

[tfosorcim]

That's all well and good, but can I toast wienies on these newfangled devices, like I do on the 6L6-es of my audio amp. If I can't, then where's the progress?

[theleader]

What next? back to cogs, gears, pulleys & mechanical timing chains etc!
I think they can be etched onto silicon!

[edzieba]

That's all well and good, but can I toast wienies on these newfangled devices, like I do on the 6L6-es of my audio amp. If I can't, then where's the progress?

Don't worry, you can still use a P4!

What next? back to cogs, gears, pulleys & mechanical timing chains etc!
I think they can be etched onto silicon!

You jest, but nanoscale Babbage-style mechanical computing engines have some niche applications in high-radiation environments. And MEMs systems are ALREADY mechanical devices on chips, used for things like IMUs, pressure transducers, DMDs (DLP projection), piezoactuation, antenna tuning, oscillators (tiny pendulums!), biochemical analysis (coupled with microfluidics: tiny plumbing!) etc.

[ik9000]

Don't worry, you can still use a P4!
You jest, but nanoscale Babbage-style mechanical computing engines have some niche applications in high-radiation environments. And MEMs systems are ALREADY mechanical devices on chips, used for things like IMUs, pressure transducers, DMDs (DLP projection), piezoactuation, antenna tuning, oscillators (tiny pendulums!), biochemical analysis (coupled with microfluidics: tiny plumbing!) etc.

Yes, nanotech is a fascinating thing. Saw some amazing videos of little cogs and mechanisms at sub-microscopic scales, but can't for the life of me think where.

[maxit]

Researchers who aren't 'positive and optimistic about progress' are unlikely to attract funding. Sounds like a difficult trick to pull off to me.

[ik9000]

Researchers who aren't 'positive and optimistic about progress' are unlikely to attract funding. Sounds like a difficult trick to pull off to me.

In lab testing the NASA scientists have managed to achieve operating frequencies of up to 460GHz for these vacuum-channel transistors – that's 10 times faster than graphene transistors have achieved so far.

They've demonstrated it. It's fact.

[peterb]

Yes, nanotech is a fascinating thing. Saw some amazing videos of little cogs and mechanisms at sub-microscopic scales, but can't for the life of me think where.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNmk-SeM0ZI


Less mechanical, but quite interesting (first 3' 30")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEH6tDLKcVU

[maxit]

They've demonstrated it. It's fact.

I meant a difficult trick to pull of in commercially viable production