NASA researchers believe that they have found a way to grow carbon nanotubes on silicon chips. In theory this could allow chip designers to design microchips with carbon nanotube interconnects. The interconnects of integrated circuits used to be made with aluminum wiring, but now electrical engineers generally use copper, which is a superior electrical conductor. But as interconnects shrink in size their electrical resistance goes up. If this interconnect problem isn't solved then the speed of chips will be limited to the speed of the interconnects. As a result, all modern microprocessors are designed with careful attention to interconnect layout. Carbon nanotubes are better conductors than copper and don't face the same electromigration or scaling problems that plague copper interconnects. However, it is difficult for me to see how nanotube interconnects could be seamlessly integrated into the chipmaking process. There will probably also be severe size discrepancies between transistors and nanotube interconnects. Finally, researchers will need to produce batches of nanotubes with precisely defined and controlled electrical properties. Although the concept of using carbon nanotubes as interconnects is intriguing, the technical problems associated with this idea are truly daunting.
Conductivity [from: ]
The researchers measured the resistance of 20 nanotubes of different lengths and diameters through as many as 1,000 cycles that consisted of dipping them in and out of mercury and two other molten metals – (gallium and Cerrolow-117). The tubes averaged 15 nanometers wide and four microns long, but ranged from one to five microns in length, with diameters from 1.4 nanometers to 50 nanometers. The quantum of resistance remained 12.9 kohms. 
With dopant metal atoms sealed inside, these fullerene nanowires are expected to have an electrical conductivity similar to copper's, a thermal conductivity about as high as diamond, and a tensile strength about 100 times higher than steel. In addition to their wonderful bulk properties, these nanowires will be terrific as tiny probes. Bundles long enough to hold in one's hand, but arranged along their length in a nanoscale array, will provide a direct connection between the macroscopic and nanoscopic worlds. 
|CIA mind control rays (2:43pm EST Thu Apr 17 2003)
I've figured out their methods. I used to wear tin foil hats until I realized that's exactly what they want! Indeed, the tin foil acts as an antennae to focus the CIA mind-control rays.
There's no fooling me! Now I am completely free of mind-controlling radio waves as I listen to my Clear Channel station or watch a little CNN. - by Alfie
|/sm (3:20pm EST Thu Apr 17 2003)
If you read my blurb carefully, you will realize that Goatguy and I have come to essentially the same conclusion on this subject. I speak of the need, among other things, to produce “batches of nanotubes with precisely defined and controlled electrical properties” before this concept would be even remotely feasible. I conclude that
“The technical problems are truly daunting”
Goatguy states that the creation of strained curve nanotubes is “damn near impossible”. If you'll read my blurb more carefully, you'll see that what Goatguy and I are saying regarding this is pretty similar. - by Sander Olson
|Nanotube Wires (4:31pm EST Thu Apr 17 2003)
Wires on Silicon must have special properties. It must make contact to Silicon, bond to the glass surface, and allow wires to connect. It will be a long engineering cycle till that happens. - by chips
|Sander Olson (4:40pm EST Thu Apr 17 2003)
Yeah, but without any detail. Real geeks will understand GG. The 12 year olds you are speaking to won't. GG got into teh meat of the subject, you glossed over it saying a whole lot less with a lot more words. Your post had little information, causing GG to do the research YOU should have done.
It's ok, everybody has a bad day once in a while. Or week. Or whatever.
The moral of the story, if your URL has the word “geek” in it you don't have to dumb down the subject. - by /sm
|No Colapse (6:14pm EST Thu Apr 17 2003)
Create a nanotube, capped at both ends with fulerene-70 half domes.
Fill it with fulerine-60 spheres.
It will not colapse when bent.
So you know it's possible, here is a picture of a multiwalled carbon nanotube filled with samarium oxide:
While the engineering challenges are significant, they are not insurmountable. - by Perdo
|/sm (4:44am EST Fri Apr 18 2003)
take it you are too young to remember vinyl records and turntables. Guess what the styluses were mostly made of?
Ok lets play a Athlon XP (Barton) has 7 layers within the chip, they are interconnected with the interlinks ok simple so far. I wonder about how the hell you could use the diamonds to link the layers. Also as they heat up we could have some very odd events take place. Bending odd interference etc.
vinyl records yes i've seen pictures of them i believe that they hold wmv files and you needed a special decorder? -) - by RAB
|The only thing (5:45am EST Fri Apr 18 2003)
that conducts heat better than diamonds,
That is the beauty of using nanotubes.
Nanotubes are not used in spite of their thermal properties, but because of them.
- by Perdo
instead of changing the shape, use the shapes to there advantage, exam round tube cap by 60, then connect at any angle.in fact two or more connect at different directions, futher more, one 60 canbe sliced for maxium directions secondly a golf ball is a example of multipul junctions if use of curve. if you don't understand, 60,70,60,70, AMD SO ON. A TOLERATED CURVE CAN BE ESTABLIS. WHAT EFECTS , THIS IS THE JOY OF GEOMTRIC. I'M SURE THE ANWER IS COMPLEX. MY THOUGHTS ARE THERE . PLEASE PICK ON ME. ENJOY . WAITING ARTHUR EUSTIS FL. - by ARTHUR