Instant-on computing becoming reality

The same technology that powers "smart" card readers could lead to a breakthrough in computing, allowing PCs to be turned on instantly.

The development by Cornell University involves ferroelectric materials and may ultimately result in high-efficiency memory that operates with little power, according to the Cornell Chronicle. By depositing strontium nitrate on silicon, the material enters a "ferroelectric" state, sought after by scientists for use in transistors.

Thus far, no one’s been able to get a working transistor from this type of material. Other uses, like the aforementioned smart cards — used, for example, to pay subway fares — achieve ferroelectricity with different materials and are activated with a small microwave antenna on the card. By achieving ferroelectricity with strontium nitrate and silicon, the latter of which is found virtually everywhere in electronic devices, the concept of a working ferroelectric transistor is closer to reality.

Darrel Schlom, professor of materials science and engineering, said the development could enable more convenient computing with higher speeds and lower power. "Several hybrid transistors have been proposed specifically with ferroelectrics in mind. By creating a ferroelectric directly on silicon, we are bringing this possibility closer to realization," he said.

Even without this technology, there’s a push to make PCs boot faster. Several months back, a New York Times article described how Lenovo, Dell, HP and others are working on sub-30-second boot times. There’s no word in the Cornell article on how long we’ll be waiting for ferroelectric PCs, so whenever it happens, will it be too late? Probably not; no matter how fast computers get, it’ll still be satisfying to press a button and see Windows pop up immediately.