Quantum computers, AI ...

Ultra-pure silicon for the computer of the future

Professor David Jamieson from the University of Melbourne and Maddison Coke from the University of Manchester inspect their ion beam system for the production of pure silicon-28.

(Bild: Universität Melbourne)

Silicon is the raw material that makes up the IT economy: its English name "silicon" even lends its name to the iconic Silicon Valley in the USA. However, the material from which our computer chips are made is available in varying degrees of purity - and for the leap into the era of quantum computing, the supply available to date is not pure enough. Researchers from Australia and the UK are now changing that.

Silicon is used for microchips for several reasons: For one, it is a semiconductor. This means it can be made to conduct electricity in different ways under different conditions. It is also readily available: It is the second most abundant element in the Earth's mantle and deposits are present in many places. The tech economy has therefore been able to count on a readily available raw material for decades. However, the silicon available is not suitable for more advanced systems such as quantum computers.