Youve probably noticed that your wi-fi slows down when more people or devices use the internet.
The same goes for larger systems.
If you get too many people congregating in one area, the cell phone towers cant handle the influx.
Photo: Tetra Images (Getty Images)
Now, scientists at the University of Florida have a potential solution: just make the chips 3D.
Most wireless communication relies on planar processors, meaning theyre essentially flat.
Because theyre two-dimensional, they can only handle a limited range of frequencies at a given time.
A schematic of the new 3D circuit design.Illustration: Roozbeh Tabrizian
That could amount to a revolution.
Were starting to reach the maximum amount of data we can move efficiently.
That breakthrough has several benefits.
Above all else, it increases performance while shrinking the amount of space that chips take up.
Think of it like lights on the road and in the air, Tabrizian said.
It becomes a mess.
One chip manufactured for just one frequency doesnt make sense anymore.
As this technology matures, it will mean all of our devices can work better and faster.
News from the future, delivered to your present.
