Researchers Create Graphene-Like Material

News
By Douglas Perry
published

Physicists at Helmholtz-Zentrum in Dresden, Germany discovered a new material that exhibits properties similar to graphene, which is believed to pave the way to smaller and much more capable transistors.

The new material consists of strontium, manganese, and bismuth (SrMnBi2) and allows "simple and uncomplicated doping with foreign atoms," the researchers said: The physical properties of SrMnBi2 can be altered by simply injecting other atoms, which the scientists believe may lead to the creation of new magnets, insulators or superconductors.

The initial research has been published in the article Anisotropic Dirac Fermions in a Bi Square Net of SrMnBi2 that is featured in the journal Physical Review Letters. So far, the scientists have not made further conclusions what the impact of the new material may be, but said that more research and additional experiments will be necessary.

The opportunity for this material will lie in the ability to alter it and how easily it can be manufactured. While graphene is believed to have a big future, producing and manipulating it is extremely difficult and there are no tools and techniques in place that would allow graphene mass-production.

Douglas Perry
16 Comments Comment from the forums
  • JAYDEEJOHN
    Hope this is the one of the many
    Reply
  • a sandwhich
    Doesn't bismuth have the longest half life known?
    Reply
  • stingstang
    This is about the 4th new "revolutionary new discovery" that's supposed to change what we know about processors by leaping forward in design and size. It's going to be the same conclusion in the end. It's not cost-effective.
    Reply
  • alidan
    stingstangThis is about the 4th new "revolutionary new discovery" that's supposed to change what we know about processors by leaping forward in design and size. It's going to be the same conclusion in the end. It's not cost-effective.
    its not really that its not cost effective, its that its in its infancy.

    graphene will be used in super computers, high end servers, before it will trickle down to enthusiast builds.

    the cost to completely scrap silicon and go with a different route is astronomical, and only someone with the need for the best of the best would be able to fund the switch.
    Reply
  • lozz08
    the cost to completely scrap silicon and go with a different route is astronomical, and only someone with the need for the best of the best would be able to fund the switch.

    Yup. It wouldn't even matter if this new stuff was half the cost. The real cost is changing the entire industry over to new processes. Now, if we could find a new tech that could utilize some of our old si facilities then... That's kind of a pipedream though.
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    a sandwhichDoesn't bismuth have the longest half life known?Nope, the longest known half life is currently between Episode 2 and Episode 3 :(
    Reply
  • alidan
    lozz08Yup. It wouldn't even matter if this new stuff was half the cost. The real cost is changing the entire industry over to new processes. Now, if we could find a new tech that could utilize some of our old si facilities then... That's kind of a pipedream though.
    im just guessing, but im thinking that the cost would be allong the lines of 10-20 billion for a complete switch, and than YEARS upon YEARS of low yields.

    what it would take for a full revamp would be a united effort across all current silicon makers and some government tax breaks / subsidiaries.
    Reply
  • back_by_demand
    alidanim just guessing, but im thinking that the cost would be allong the lines of 10-20 billion for a complete switch, and than YEARS upon YEARS of low yields. what it would take for a full revamp would be a united effort across all current silicon makers and some government tax breaks / subsidiaries.But think about it, it will be just like the upgrade from copper cable to fibre optic for the phone network, the benfits for reliability and speed with internet is huge. The cost pays for itself eventually you just need deep enough pockets to start the process.
    The UK has 75 million miles of copper cables, that's a lot of green.
    Also, like the guy above said they won't just flick a switch and the world has to move from silicone overnight costing a few trillion in the process, they will exist side by side with Deep Blue's replacement followed by Googles server farm , followed by Alienware PCs before hitting the crappy consumer PCs sold at Frys. It will be just another componant upgrade by the time it gets to you and me, or more likely, our grandkids.
    Reply
  • stonedatheist
    back_by_demandNope, the longest known half life is currently between Episode 2 and Episode 3
    LMAO! thanks for the chuckle, IMMD. It simply cannot come out soon enough
    Reply
  • alidan
    back_by_demandBut think about it, it will be just like the upgrade from copper cable to fibre optic for the phone network, the benfits for reliability and speed with internet is huge. The cost pays for itself eventually you just need deep enough pockets to start the process.The UK has 75 million miles of copper cables, that's a lot of green.Also, like the guy above said they won't just flick a switch and the world has to move from silicone overnight costing a few trillion in the process, they will exist side by side with Deep Blue's replacement followed by Googles server farm , followed by Alienware PCs before hitting the crappy consumer PCs sold at Frys. It will be just another componant upgrade by the time it gets to you and me, or more likely, our grandkids.
    no, im looking at it from a more... intel prespective.

    a few years back, i had a p4 530 prescot (i believe that was modle number, it was 3.0 or 3.2 ghz hyperthreaded) , and the core 2 used the same socket, however my motherboard couldn't handle a new cpu because of a 90 or 60nm i forget which to a 45nm

    with a graphene, i believe they said that even if hey switched now, they would be in the 100+nm range, it would technically be a step backward, but would also be a step forward, because they can handle a 50ghz on air, or was it 250ghz... i forget. thinking of it that way, it may hit cellphones first, because it could arguably preform at desktop levels (ghz wise) with arm wattage.

    Reply