New Samsung chip to speed up PCs, smartphones 100-fold

Samsung Electronics has developed semiconductor technology to produce computers and smartphones 100 times faster than conventional ones.

Samsung Advanced Institute of Science and Technology said Friday that its study on the development of structure for new transistors (part of semiconductors) using graphene, dubbed the “dream new material,” has been published in the online edition of the journal Science.

The new technology can enhance the performance of semiconductors and reduce their sizes by using graphene, thus enabling the replacement of silicon chips. Because graphene transmits a larger volume of electricity than silicon, it has been hailed as the next generation material since its development in 2004.

Graphene holds characters similar to those of metal, and thus is difficult to cut off current, something which posed an obstacle to the development of a semiconductor with this material. The think tank has overcome this barrier through a method that integrates graphene with silicon.

Samsung has labeled the new device “barrister” and will take steps to commercialize it. The institute has secured nine core patents on the operational method and structure of the graphene transistor.

Park Seong-joon, a senior researcher at the institute, said, “The newly developed technology is as revolutionary as the development of the diode and transistor,” adding, “By accelerating the effort to commercialize the device, we will help Korea maintain its status as a semiconductor powerhouse.”

kyu@donga.com