Scientists from Dow Corning Electronic and IBM have developed a new high-performance, silicone-based material that could replace copper in waveguides and enable supercomputers to use energy more efficiently while simultaneously allowing for an increase computing speeds. Developing a method for increasing computer speeds without increasing energy consumption, and therefore heat, is considered by many to be an ongoing problem for the industry.
According to Dr. Bert Jan Offrein, manager of the Photonics Research Group at IBM Research, waveguides made with the new material are capable of “sustained good performance past 2,000 hours under high humidity and temperature over 500 thermal cycles between -40°C and 120°C.”
Traditional copper waveguides transfer data using electrical signals that may interfere with each other, slowing down performance and draining energy. According to Simon Jones, business builder for Dow Corning Electronic, the new silicone-based waveguides utilize light instead of electrical signals to transfer data, avoiding interference and reducing the amount of energy used.
“The robustness and flexibility of the new material make it an ideal replacement for traditional copper waveguides,” Jones said. “It has the potential to drastically reduce the cost of circuit board production and at the same time enable supercomputers to perform at faster data rates while consuming less energy.”
