IBM has demonstrated a graphene transistor that can execute 155 billion cycles per second, about 50% faster than previous experimental transistors.

The graphene transistor benefited from the use of a new and improved substrate IBM called “diamond-like carbon.” It exhibited excellent temperature stability from room temperature down to minus 268 degrees Celsius, or “helium temperature.”

It is also IBM’s smallest transistor to date. The gate length was scaled down from 550 nanometers to 40 nanometers.

IBM’s research shows that high-performance, graphene-based transistors can be produced at low cost using standard semiconductor manufacturing processes, paving the way for commercial production of graphene chips.

While graphene cannot yet operate as a digital transistor replacement in conventional silicon chips, it could serve as a complementary technology in other carbon-based devices for tasks like signal processing, the researchers said.