SWI_tch

[John Young]

   Science, 1 March 1996: 
 
   "Isotope Switch Toughens Transistors." 
 
      Semiconductor researchers are reaching for superlatives 
      to describe the discovery that a simple isotope switch 
      deuterium for hydrogen can improve transistor lifetimes 
      by factors of 10 to 50, according to a paper just 
      accepted at APL.  The finding "has huge implications 
      worldwide," says Dan DiMaria of IBM. 
 
   "Mixing Nanotube Structures To Make a Tiny Switch." 
 
      Two research teams have developed a way to make an 
      all-carbon nanotube that behaves like a semiconductor at 
      one end and a metal at the other. The intersection in 
      the middle forms a gatelike junction that controls the 
      flow of electrons. In the macroworld, such gates, known 
      as heterojunctions, form the basis for transistors and 
      a host of other electronic devices. (PRL, 5 February.) 
 
   SWI_tch