Testing New Transistors In Space

Roland Piquepaille writes "Northwestern University researchers have developed new transistors which are currently tested on the International Space Station (ISS) to see how they react to cosmic radiation. These transistors, which are using a new kind of gate dielectric material called a self-assembled nanodielectric (SAND), are exposed to radiation outside the ISS since March 22, 2008, and will stay there for one year. According to the researchers, these new transistors could be used 'on long space missions since early experiments on Earth indicate that the transistors hold up well when exposed to radiation.'"

sand, eh?

[yincrash]

I'm pretty sure if I stuck some sand out in space, it'll still be sand in a year.

First contact

[duckInferno]

Cool, but I think first contact would be deliciously more awkward if we were still using valves.

I'm on what he's on.

[mrbluze]

I'm pretty sure if I stuck some sand out in space, it'll still be sand in a year.

Tom Cruise: They're sand gates. Don't you see? This is a deliberate ploy to lure the aliens into our solar system, man. Once they go through the gates, then pow! we close the gates and snap! we got em.. bang! Wow! Pshhhhhhh! Ping! Wow... Solar, man.

SAND?

[FlyByPC]

How about ROCKS: Reduced-Oxide Capacitor Kilowatt Signaling? Or DIRT: Densely-Inductive Resonant Transformers!

Sand?

[AdamHaun]

As opposed to the old kind of dielectric, silicon dioxide, which is also known as... sand.

More fantasy from space enthusiasts

[patio11]

Because instead of paying for earthquake or flood insurance, something which is well-understood and known to work against hazards which happen infrequently, we want to spend about $10,000 a pound to lift the entire facility into orbit, where it will be exposed to total-loss failure constantly, for the life of the facility. But with the $20 billion terrestrial plant moved into space at the costs of hundreds of billions of dollars, at least it will be secure from floods and earthquakes! We'll just replace the miniscule threat of floods/earthquakes with the threat of, well, whatever kills it will probably be pretty unique -- a miniscule design flaw in a pressure seal, a one-off bug in control code, there are a billion possible things that can go wrong and they all spell TIME FOR A NEW PLANT. And estimating that risk? Well, assuming we're as "successful" protecting the fab plant as we are at protecting our shuttle pilots, there will only be a 2% chance or so of each flight to it blowing up.

And we're doing this to... save money.

Pff, radiation-proof logic gates already exist

[Rosco P. Coltrane]

they're called relays.

Alas the crew

[GottliebPins]

Yes our new transistor design has held up well after being bombarded with radiation for the past year. Alas our human crew didn't stand up so well. But our space ship survived! Success!

Re:Cost of transistors

[skoaldipper]

Can you please explain how we're supposed to get process shrinks and new interconnects, allowing higher clock rates and lower power consumption, without investing in new equipment?

1. Mow out goofy looking hieroglyphics into corn fields at Roswell.
2. Camouflage Patriot Missles with green and yellow paint.
3. ???
4. Profit!