Scientists from Stanford and MIT universities are working to unite the processor and RAM memory in one package, using carbon nanotubes.

Modern computing is reaching important challenges, such as reducing the transistors that make up processors and graphics cards, which is increasingly complicated, as has been seen by Intel, which has had problems making the leap to 10nm. Miniaturization allows two things, increase performance and improve energy efficiency, two fundamental aspects. Integration is also sought, as with Vega, which implements the HBM2 memories in the same package as the GPU, thus improving efficiency and performance. Well, scientists are developing to improve the implementation with carbon nanotubes to link processor and RAM.

Scientists from Stanford and MIT are working on taking the integration of different elements further and want to unite the processor and RAM in a single unit. Apparently, the scientists who are investigating this are using a prototype based on carbon nanotubes, which would have a layer called 'Resistive RAM' or RRAM in the upper area. One of the people in charge of the team that created this system has commented that it is the most complicated nano-electrical system that has been developed and that the most modern techniques in nano-technology are being used.

The key point has been to make use of carbon, because the silicon that is usually used in processors is not viable, due to the high temperatures that occur in these cases and the union ends up destroying. We must emphasize that the properties of carbon nanotubes with respect to electrical conduction are well known and they withstand high temperatures, so it is an ingenious solution that could allow a great leap in the power of the systems, in addition to being an integration logic.

Source: TT