The research team led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Schimmel, physicist and expert in nanotechnology at the Institute of Applied Physics at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), has developed and patented what is probably the world’s smallest transistor.
Unlike traditional transistors, this one works without semiconductors such as silicon, but with the targeted switching of a single atom. This enables a very low electrical voltage and extremely low power consumption. Another special feature is that the single atom transistor works at room temperature and does not need to be cooled. In addition, the transistor consists only of metal, which reduces dependence on raw materials and semiconductors.
