What is next after a 1nm node?

[Smackaroy]

tsmc keeps making smaller and smaller silicon but surely you can only make it so small? So what will be the new thing to process cpu efficiency? Carbon?

[Arika]

a completely different way that processors/computers work

[DominicNikon]

I'm going to say a new material. idk if it possible to go smaller then a nanometer with our current technology 

[BobVonBob]

1 nanometer is 2-10 silicon atoms across (haven't found a solid number from a source I trust), so it can still go a little bit smaller than 1 nm, but it's much more likely that architectural changes will be what drives progress past that point.

[trag1c]

100% new material need as you're getting to the point where silicon atoms are simply too big to make any sort of structure from in that small of a process. You might be able to make a 1nm node but your yields will make it way too expensive to use in any sort of volume manufacturing.

[mr moose]

I know people poo poo the idea ( a lot of great tech was poo pooed in it's early days) but I think optical computing will be a thing.

[Roswell]

According to scientists, we won’t see 1nm silicon. Apparently with anything below 4 or 5nm you get quantum mechanical fuckery messing up computational output.

 

The answer is different materials but we’re simply not there yet and seemingly won’t be for a long time.

 

https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/a23353/1nm-transistor-gate/

[We Didnt_t start_the_fire]

@Smackaroy

Since no one seemed to answer your question and are answering with technical stuff here I believe is the answer and give me an solved mark if it is.

After Nano (meter) come Pico (meter). 

1m-->cm or 1/100th of a meter-->milimeter or mm or 1/1000th or a meter(dah in the name)-->micometer or 1/millionth meter-->namometer-->1/billionth meter-->Picometer or 1/Trillionth meter and then there is other but thats all need to know now.

 

Basically apart cm is bas /100 the rest is by increment of /1000. Use multiplication the other way round if prefer.

Now whats a meter? TL:DR to explain, so check out wikipedia.

 

TSMC have begun to research beyond 3 nm. We will likely be using carbon, either in nanotube form or other/graphene-graphene form. 

Germanium is the original semi-conductor, more complex to manufacture but right now can be at scale and easy enough. Was proposed as the original transistor because Silicon wasn't challenging enough and boring to it's creator on the manufacturing level. There is question either we can bring it down more then the Silicon or is that gain enough to change the complete process compared to maybe more long term things as carbon/graphene. We could likely see a hybrade material of germanium-Silicon as it is easier and require less change in manufacturing. One thing it in wither form can do for sure is better speed and overall instruction per second. 

 

Likewise, Gallium or gallium hybrid, with nitrite or arsenite, indium, indium with zinc-zinc oxide or a combination of them. Such as gallium-indium. Hair could be a candidate too, we can certainly synthesize them and make clever use of them.

 

Another thing to note is X86 is going away albeit we will use them and will for a long time like gas cars. So wither ARM or Risk-V or maybe an comeback of Power-ISA or if needed based on those new materials we can use a new ISA or Architecture or more then one. At least likewise 2. Won't be an fast change say the least. until 2025 we are set to go 3 nm and then we will see, My guess is we can stretch a little bit more out of Silicon to 1 nm or below before we need to go another material completely.

The thing is now we can not completely brute force it, a lot of optimization with architecture and creative solution is being worked on to get more efficient and manufacturing more focused improvement and all around improvement(Intel like meh). My guess is before we switch, we would likely have the biggest change ever(beside the more core component like the core core component such as Silicon or wafers) with the copperwire being replaced by something since you can't really shrink them like the transistors do. Or we can find a way to shrink them. Once again, maybe a hybrid material, add a bit of whatever or a different process or coated with something or really whatever. Likely a completely new material wither hybrid composite or not is ok. 

WE WILL GET 10 GHZ SOME DAY.

 

 

[PeachGr]

There are a few channels on YouTube that are talking about "the Moore 's law" and the shrinking process started many many years ago, from eniac I think. Carbon is a way to go for some and there have been some research on different materials.