First Carbon Nanotube Computer Created

Stanford University engineers have demonstrated the world’s first working computer with a processor based entirely on carbon nanotubes, showing that the technology could be a viable way to replace silicon when it reaches size limits in increasingly smaller circuits.

The nanotube processor has only 142 transistors, making it comparable to an Intel 4004 processor, which was released in 1971. It has been demonstrated connected to external hardware and used to perform simple mathematical tasks.

Despite the simplicity of the processor, the team says it’s a “terrific demonstration” of the technology, and will begin working with circuit engineers at Stanford to improve the technology as quickly as possible. Because the nanotubes are able to dissipate heat faster than silicon, they may be able to run significantly faster than silicon without overheating, with theoretical work showing that a carbon nanotube processor to be an order of magnitude more energy efficient than silicon.