Atoms land on top of each other, creating rough spots on thin films used to produce semiconductors.

The quest for faster electronic devices recently got something more than a little bump up in technological knowhow. Scientists at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y. discovered that the thin, smooth, crystalline sheets needed to make semiconductors, which are the foundation of modern computers, might be grown into smoother sheets by managing the random darting motions of the atomic particles that affect how the crystals grow.

"The main benefit of smooth crystalline films in electronic devices is that electrons can travel from one place to another in a device with minimal disruption," said Charles Ying, program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Materials Research. "This in turn leads to faster electronics and lower electricity consumption."

(A) Illustration of a conductive particle attracted to a disclination line that joins two electrodes at points P and Q. (B) Photograph of a horizontal necklace of particles. The red bar is 30 micrometers long. Image copyright: Fleury, et al. (c)2009 APS.

Scientists have demonstrated a new microwire fabrication technique in which microwires self-assemble themselves in a three-dimensional template made of nematic liquid crystals. Amidst concerns about Moore’s law eventually approaching a limit in two dimensions, the new fabrication method could enable researchers to continue to increase the density of transistors on integrated circuits by making use of the third dimension.

As the researchers explain, many different processes have been proposed in the past few years for fabricating high-quality nanowires. Generally, in order to connect nanowires to electrodes, researchers must confine them on a two-dimensional substrate and use the third dimension for manipulating the connections, often using a computer.

In their new study, the scientists show how to manufacture microwires that self-assemble themselves in a three-dimensional template and then connect themselves to electrodes with an accuracy of a few micrometers. First, the researchers took the two substrates to be connected, and filled the space between them with a nematic liquid crystal, which is the same substance used in many kinds of LCDs. Although the molecules in the liquid are free to move, they align themselves parallel to one another, except along threadlike (defect) lines (“nemato” in Greek means “threadlike”).

Next, the scientists created a defect line in the nematic liquid crystal that runs between electrodes in the two substrates. By rubbing the substrates in three different locations at a specific angle, the researchers produced a programmable disclination (i.e., a topological singularity or defect line). In this area, the molecules cannot orient themselves in any direction, creating a disclination that extends between the two substrates.

For the first time, nanotechnology researchers in France have developed a hybrid nano-particle-organic transistor that can mimic the main functionalities of a synapse.

The NOMFET (Nanoparticle Organic Memory Field-Effect Transistor), as it’s known, is an organic device made of a molecule called pentacene (an organic semiconductor) and gold nano-particles. It exhibits the main behavior of a biological spiking synapse and can lead to a new generation of neuro-inspired computers, capable of responding in a manner similar to the nervous system.

In the shimmering fantasy realm of the hit movie "Avatar," a paraplegic Marine leaves his wheelchair behind and finds his feet in a new virtual world thanks to "the link," a sophisticated chamber that connects his brain to a surrogate alien, via computer.

This type of interface is a classic tool in gee-whiz science fiction. But the hard science behind it is even more wow-inducing.

Researchers are already using brain-computer interfaces to aid the disabled, treat diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, and provide therapy for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Work is under way on devices that may eventually let you communicate with friends telepathically, give you superhuman hearing and vision or even let you download data directly into your brain, a la "The Matrix."