It was 1965 when Gordon Moore (co-founder of Intel) made the observation that the number of transistors per square inch of integrated circuits roughly doubled each year, starting from the time of introduction of these devices. What was in 1965 an observation become a law postulating that this trend would not come to a stop. Unfortunately, the limits of physics have caused a recent slowdown in the rhythm at which semiconductor companies can miniaturize transistors. Yesterday, an article on the NYT focused on a fresh announcement by Rice University and HP on a fundamental discovery able to overcome the barrier to the continued miniaturization of electronic components.
In the announcement Rice University researchers claim they have built reliable small digital switches that could allow to significantly shrink computer memory. From the same post, we learn that "HP is to announce on Tuesday that it will enter into a commercial partnership with a major semiconductor company to produce a related technology that also has the potential of pushing computer data storage to astronomical densities in the next decade". This announcement, in conjunction with similar ones involving IBM and Intel, is symptomatic of an incoming race in novel materials for computer memory. At the advantage, of course, not only of the winning company, but also the final consumers. If you want to learn more, click here.
