acm-header
Sign In

Communications of the ACM

News

The Future of Semiconductors


carbon nanotube wafer

Engineers at Stanford University are creating wafers like this one from carbon nanotubes, a potential successor to silicon that could make processors smaller and more energy efficient.

Credit: Norbert von der Groeben / Stanford University

Over the last half-century, as computing has advanced by leaps and bounds, one thing has remained fairly static: Moore's Law. The concept, named after semiconductor pioneer Gordon Moore, is based on the observation that the number of transistors packed into an integrated circuit (IC) doubles approximately every two years. For more than 50 years, this concept has provided a predictable framework for semiconductor development. It has helped computer manufacturers and many other companies focus their research and plan for the future.

However, there are signs that Moore's Law is reaching the end of its practical path. Although the IC industry will continue to produce smaller and faster transistors over the next few years, these systems cannot operate at optimal frequencies due to heat dissipation issues. This has "brought the rate of progress in computing performance to a snail's pace," wrote IEEE fellows Thomas M. Conte and Paolo A. Gargini in a 2015 IEEE-RC-ITRS report, On the Foundation of the New Computing Industry Beyond 2020.


 

No entries found

Log in to Read the Full Article

Sign In

Sign in using your ACM Web Account username and password to access premium content if you are an ACM member, Communications subscriber or Digital Library subscriber.

Need Access?

Please select one of the options below for access to premium content and features.

Create a Web Account

If you are already an ACM member, Communications subscriber, or Digital Library subscriber, please set up a web account to access premium content on this site.

Join the ACM

Become a member to take full advantage of ACM's outstanding computing information resources, networking opportunities, and other benefits.
  

Subscribe to Communications of the ACM Magazine

Get full access to 50+ years of CACM content and receive the print version of the magazine monthly.

Purchase the Article

Non-members can purchase this article or a copy of the magazine in which it appears.
Sign In for Full Access
» Forgot Password? » Create an ACM Web Account