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Title: World's smallest diode made from a single DNA molecule
Source:
FreedomsPhoenix.com, that other ESSENTIAL site! are you hip
URL Source: http://www.gizmag.com/diode-molecule-dna-electronics-uga/42646/
Published: Apr 7, 2016
Author: Jeffrey
Post Date: 2016-04-07 15:28:55 by NeoconsNailed
Keywords: None
Views: 25
(I've been wondering when it would reach the molecular level. What does that leave -- ectoplasm? Pics at site. NN) As electronic devices become ever more complex, and the densities of components in those devices increases exponentially, we are rapidly approaching the day when the limitations of Moore's Law will be realized. In an effort to avert this eventuality, research has concentrated on moving away from traditional silicon technologies and into the realms of molecule- sized components and alternative materials. In this vein, researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) and Ben-Gurion University (BGU) in Israel have, for the first time, created a nanoscale electronic diode from a single DNA molecule. Diodes allow current to flow in one direction in an electric circuit, while blocking current in the opposite direction. Commonly known as "rectifiers" from their common usage in converting alternating current to direct current, diodes are an essential component in a vast range of electronic devices, and are printed in their millions on almost every variety of silicon chip. A simple component, even the smallest diodes are beginning to approach the limits as to how many can be packed onto a single integrated circuit. "For 50 years, we have been able to place more and more computing power onto smaller and smaller chips, but we are now pushing the physical limits of silicon," says Dr. Bingqian Xu, principal investigator and associate professor in the UGA College of Engineering. "If silicon-based chips become much smaller, their performance will become unstable and unpredictable"...... 
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