A team from UC San Diego used old tube technology to create a chip without semiconductors. This is what the semiconductor free chip would look like. (Image via UC San Diego)
The fashion world is proof that old is new again. How else can we explain ‘overalls’ becoming popular again? But it seems that concept is not an exclusive one – it’s coming to the world of technology. Thanks to new research from the University of San Diego, vacuum-tubed powered computers will be making a comeback.
Researchers from UC San Diego used vacuum tubes to create the first semiconductor-free, laser-controlled microelectronics device, which uses free electrons. This groundbreaking discovery could lead to better solar panels and faster microelectronic devices. Though it is old technology, the vacuum tubes proved to be more effective because they don’t have the same limitations as semiconductors based on silicon and other materials.
Traditional semiconductors cause the electron velocity to be limited due to its resistance of the materials. The electrons also need a zap of energy is needed to get them pulsing through the band gap, which is caused by insulating properties, like silicon. Vacuum tubes dodge these problems since the electrons can be dislodged to carry a current through space. But this doesn’t mean vacuum tubes don’t have their own problems. They require over 100 volts or a powerful laser to knock the electrons loose. The researchers at UC San Diego tackled this problem head on and found a solution in building gold mushroom like nanostructures with parallel gold strips. Combining this with a lower amount of voltage, the electrons were easy to dislodge.
So what were the results? Using the vacuum tubes showed a 1000 percent increase in conductivity. This leaves more electrons available for manipulation. Because of this the tubes can act as a transistor, power amplifier, or photodetector, which are all things semiconductors do. But the tubes will work with less resistance and the ability to handle higher amounts of power.
Right now this is just a proof of concept. There’s still a lot that testing researchers have to do to ensure these vacuum tubes will actually work for the long term. Dan Sievenpiper, the author of the research paper published in Nature, says the next step for the team is to understand their limitations and how far they can be scaled. The team also wants to test the applications in electronics, environmental applications, and even weapons.
The research sounds promising. Hopefully, this application will move from proof of concept to actually being used to make devices, like solar power panels, faster and more efficient. Then maybe more people will be convinced to switch over to solar power for their energy.
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