Carbon nanotube transistors are scaled down to record size

There’s a limit to how small silicon transistors can be made before quantum confinement effects and the loss of electrostatic control over the current jeopardize the material’s performance. Carbon nanotubes are an appealing substitute: Their intrinsic thinness enables superb control over power dissipation in a transistor’s off state and allows the transistor to switch between off and on under a much lower gate voltage than is possible using silicon.