Scientists in Australia claim to have created a transistor the size of a single atom, opening the way for the next generation of nano technology.
The microscopic device is made of a single phosphorus atom embedded into silicon with 'gates' to control electrical flow and metallic contacts that are also on an atomic scale.
Transistors, which switch or amplify electrical flow, form the basis of all computer chip technology.
The project's lead researcher Martin Fuechsle said: 'Our group has proved that it is really possible to position one phosphorus atom in a silicon environment, exactly as we need it, with near-atomic precision, and at
the same time (incorporate) gates.'
Atomic-sized transistors have been created before, but only by accident said Michelle Simmons, director of the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication at the University of New South Wales, where the
work was carried out.
The transistor was made from a silicon crystal and manipulated at a molecular level using a microscope using a super-fine metal tip.
A chemical reaction was used to weld the 'transistor' atom to the silicon surface.
The minute device can only operate in ultra-cold temperatures provided by liquid helium.
For the past 50 years, microchip development has followed what is known as Moore's Law.
The co-founder of pc chip manufacturing giant Intel, Gordon Moore, predicted that the number of transistors on a chip would double every 18 months.
The single atom creation in Australia could radically alter Moore's prediction, redefining the possible size of future gadgets and their applications
