Last month, John Bardeen was our first Illinois Computer Connection due to his part in the invention of the transistor in 1947. This month, Milton Feng is our focus. Feng is leading a group of researchers in the Nanotechnology Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Their mission has been to create the world’s fastest transistor – which they’ve done again, and again, and again. Instead of using the standard silicon and germanium to create transistors, Feng’s group is using indium phosphide and indium gallium arsenide. This combination has allowed the team to create a record 382 GHz processor in January of 2002. Then, they achieved the new record speed of 452 GHz in May of 2003. In November of last year, they set the current world record of 509 GHz. These faster transistors will ultimately find their way into making faster computers and video games, and improved communications systems. Dr. Feng’s goal is to ultimately make the world’s first terahertz processor (1000 GHz or 1 THz). It was just a few years ago when speed measured in MHz implied it was fast. Now, it’s got to be GHz. Thanks to Dr. Feng, we’re already talking about THz.
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