Comments on: Could plasma light extend Moore’s law?

By: rob falgiano

rob falgiano — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 20:19:43 +0000

@Gordon, that same thought had occurred to me – that the coming efficiencies of robots will eventually make humans much more useless on the whole. Which way will it go – will we live in a luxurious paradise of free time b/c replicated food will solve world hunger, or will we begin dying off like the less evolved ancestors of cavemen?

By: Editor

Editor — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 12:20:02 +0000

Yes, the ITRS forecast for Moore’s law only extends to a 6 nm gate length, in 2026. Below that, quantum effects dominate.

By: Brian Roberts

Brian Roberts — Tue, 03 Jul 2012 03:17:26 +0000

I would think (at least from the predictions made) is that quantum computing when developed will have a “quantum law” that dwarfs Moore’s law. Agree 100% Gordon on the carbon nanotubes and graphene.

By: Editor

Editor — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 22:41:12 +0000

Good catch. Fixed.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 21:22:06 +0000

Yes Brian, a lot of researchers have a lot of irons in a lot of fires, and they will keep pullng our nuts out of the fire. Another big thing to keep Moore’s Law going are carbon nanotubes and graphene. You can make transistors with either of them. We will have Moore’s Law going strong all the way up to the Singularity.

By: Miller A.

Miller A. — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 17:48:44 +0000

Overall this is a pretty accurate article, so it’s surprising to see this statement:
“But it’s hit a roadblock: the 193-nanometer ultraviolet light now being used cannot etch circuits any smaller.” This line reads as though the light is used to directly etch circuits, whereas the light is used in the process of patterning the cicuits, not in etching.

By: Gorden Russell

Gorden Russell — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:44:59 +0000

“A gift last fall from the Washington Research Foundation helped the team shrink the equipment from the size of a broomstick to a new version the size of a pin, which can produce a sharp beam.”

Remember Senator Proxmire? He was the scoffer who always criticised scientific research paid for by the Federal Government. Without money from the Department of Energy, we wouldn’t have this new breakthkrough. This will give us the von Neumann machines that will mine asteroids at Lagrange Point Five.

Of course, this will put us all out of work when robots build robots. They will be so cheap and plentiful that they will do every job.

These robots will just have to pay the unemployment taxes of the people they replace, or society will collapse.

By: Brian Roberts

Brian Roberts — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 16:08:37 +0000

I’ve heard Moore’s law will last the decade or maybe 2. By then quantum computing would likely keep it going. If Moore’s law stopped I don’t really think things would come to a halt. Isn’t 3-d chip architecture supposed to increase the law as well?

By: DeBee Corley

DeBee Corley — Mon, 02 Jul 2012 14:18:15 +0000

Wow, a 20 millionth of a second light beam can be used to produce chips.
Probably a lot of work to do.