Stanford scientists discover a possible successor to silicon

Physicists at Stanford University have identified an important new trait of a chemical compound that could become an heir to silicon, perhaps transforming the computing industry.

The researchers found that electrons in a chemical compound called bismuth telluride have a unique property: They can travel without resistance, losing no energy. This suggests that there might be a new way to carry more information than silicon-based chips can handle.

It is one of many competing ideas in the search for new tools that could accelerate the development of even smaller, cheaper and more powerful computers.

By Lisa M. Krieger

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