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Hafnium based insulator with metal gate can reduce power dissipation
in devices but can it reduce the quantum mechanical tunneling effect
below 45 nm scaling down of devices? It is an interesting
proposition for research. But are we coming down too hard on
hardware improvements while the same level of improvement is not
there in the software field? Chips understand only assembler code,
to some extent they can now understand C and C++, but there are
severe limitations. The hardware implementation of the digital
signal processing algorithm has become a must as software
implementations have become too slow. What is the point at all in
crunching devices to leaner configurations when we have a severe
limitation in making them understand our language?
-- KS Madhavan, April 6, 2008
Carbon Nanotubes may be an answer to scaling down of devices. Research shows that one can go down to 20 nm and below in this area. The power dissipation problem is also simplified. But one has to be aware of the fact that carbon nanotubes have the same effect on health as asbestos. Prolonged exposure to such material can cause diseases like cancer. There is a need to regulate research in Nanotechnology. Some countries are already providing Nano-finance for projects relating to Nanotechnology. Where will it all take us to and has a roadmap been drafted to substantiate this technology?
-- KS Madhavan, August 25, 2008