Molybdenite As an Alternative To Silicon 169
An anonymous reader writes "Molybdenite (MoS2) can be used to make transistors that consume 100,000 times less energy in standby state. This mineral, which is abundant in nature, is often used as an element in steel alloys or as an additive in lubricants. Research carried out in Switzerland at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne's Laboratory of Nanoscale Electronics and Structures (LANES) has revealed that is a very effective semiconductor. Molybdenite's 1.8 electron-volt gap is ideal for transistors and gives it an advantage over graphene (which does not have a gap)."
Re:Make better computers, kill more plants (Score:5, Insightful)
I'll keep that in mind before I strip mine any farms for molybdenum. Otherwise, I am pretty sure the plants inside of the middle of a mountain are not going to mind.
Re:Make better computers, kill more plants (Score:5, Insightful)
Huh? Just like all the steel we produce somehow reduces the amount of iron plants and animals can make use of? Are you suggesting that a significant fraction of mined molybdenite goes to fertilizer manufacture?
Molybdenum may not be as abundant as silicon, but it's still fairly abundant. (54th most abundant in the crust and 25th most abundant in sea water, says Wikipedia.) And given its fairly high cost, I imagine any increased demand will be offset by its cost. This would limit molybdenum to niche applications where controlling leakage is a must. I imagine MoS2 based semiconductors would only be cost effective if they can figure out how to use as little of it as possible, perhaps with MoS2 over some other substrate.
I can think of much stupider things that we could do (and in fact are doing already), such as bottling water, or hyperfocusing food production on corn and subsidizing large quantities of corn-based ethanol production.
Re:Make better computers, kill more plants (Score:4, Insightful)
Um, okay. You can pass on my TED talks. Otherwise, the point stands.
Molybdenum is generally gathered as a byproduct of other mining operations. The "free" molybdenum in soil that plants uses is utterly unaffected when you tear open a mountain to get at it. The original point of "OMG BUT PLANTS USE IT!" was dumb and reactionary. Hell, just re-read the original post if you are in doubt. This is like if someone declared that they found a novel use for nitrogen and someone else freaked out be cause OMFG nitrogen is critical for all life!!!11!!
There are actual legitimate road blocks to using molybdenum in place of silicon. OMFG the plants!11!!! isn't one of them.
Re:Let me just say (Score:4, Insightful)
You're doing some freaky ass computing if all the transistors in your CPU are active at the same time.
Re:reduction in subthreshold leakage current (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Abundant ... hello? (Score:5, Insightful)
It's pretty convenient that the US also happens to be the world's largest producer of the stuff too: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005molybdenum_(mined).PNG [wikipedia.org]
Re:Abundant ... hello? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:great, more advertising by press release (Score:3, Insightful)
I can, however, see moly transistors stepping in for the power regulation side of a chip and system where efficiency is demanded, and graphene-based 'burst processing' cores that are shut down completely when not in use on the performance side.
Everything is about application, adaptation, and integration of technologies, not seeking out a replacement for every end of the spectrum at once. Silicon is the Jack in the middle, while the specialists should be looked upon as integrable to the whole of transistor arrangement.