another crucial part of a transistor. Lastly, metal leads are added to connect the various components on the chip. Since the chips are so small, hundreds are made on a single silicon wafer at once.

Upon applying a small voltage to the gate ... Take IBM's latest 2-nanometer (nm) technology, for instance, which can pack an astounding 50 billion transistors onto a chip the size of a fingernail.

A landmark development led by researchers from the University of Glasgow could help create a new generation of diamond-based ...