http://www.kurzweilai.net/ucsb-scientists-synthesize-first-genetically-evolved-semiconductor-material Accelerating Intelligence Sat, 25 May 2013 22:29:04 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 http://www.kurzweilai.net/ucsb-scientists-synthesize-first-genetically-evolved-semiconductor-material/comment-page-1#comment-18081 Editor Fri, 15 Jun 2012 06:44:41 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=153662#comment-18081 Right. "Silicon" is often misleadingly used to refer to chips (a combination of silicon and silicon dioxide). Changed to "silicon dioxide" for clarity (http://pcplus.techradar.com/2009/05/21/how-silicon-chips-are-made/) is a good reference on the process of making chips. The PNAS article says the genetic process can "catalyze synthesis of multimetallic silicate crystals" (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate) with useful properties for electronic devices, but doesn't explain how. I'll ask for more info. Right. “Silicon” is often misleadingly used to refer to chips (a combination of silicon and silicon dioxide). Changed to “silicon dioxide” for clarity (http://pcplus.techradar.com/2009/05/21/how-silicon-chips-are-made/) is a good reference on the process of making chips. The PNAS article says the genetic process can “catalyze synthesis of multimetallic silicate crystals” (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicate) with useful properties for electronic devices, but doesn’t explain how. I’ll ask for more info.

]]> http://www.kurzweilai.net/ucsb-scientists-synthesize-first-genetically-evolved-semiconductor-material/comment-page-1#comment-17990 John Wentworth Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:00:40 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=153662#comment-17990 Silica is not Silicon, it is SiO2. The properties are radically different. Silica forms quartz and many types of sand; it is abundant in nature and not a semiconductor. Unless I'm missing something, I don't think these folks evolved a semiconductor, just new structures of silica. Silica is not Silicon, it is SiO2. The properties are radically different. Silica forms quartz and many types of sand; it is abundant in nature and not a semiconductor. Unless I’m missing something, I don’t think these folks evolved a semiconductor, just new structures of silica.

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