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Beckman Institute Researchers Joseph Lyding and Karl Hess have found a new process
that dramatically strengthens and prolongs the life of silicon microchips. Their discovery
involves a simple change in processing the chips. Instead of treating the chips with
hydrogen, deuterium issues during the annealing process extending the life of the chip ten
to fifteen times. The use of hydrogen for annealing as a protective agent in microchips
has been standard in computer technology thus far. However, energetic electrons driven through
hydrogen-treated microchips knock of the hydrogen, breaking the hydrogen silicon bonds. The resulting
decrease in performance in microchip life is an ongoing liability concern for the smaller
chips of the future. Deuterium is a stable known radioactive isotope of hydrogen existing
in nature. The deuterium treatment allows the chip to withstand the damage generated
by electrons passing through them during operation. Deuterium-treated chips should also better
withstand harsh environments such as space. With deuterium, the bonding points along the
interface of the chips remain intact. The treatment should improve the reliability of
many chip- carrying devices from kitchen appliances to computers.