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Scientists finally see the atomic flaws hiding inside computer chips

Researchers at Cornell University have developed a powerful imaging technique that reveals atomic scale defects inside computer chips for the first time. Using an advanced electron microscopy method, the team mapped the exact positions of atoms inside tiny transistor structures and uncovered small imperfections nicknamed “mouse bites.” These defects form during the complex manufacturing process and can disrupt how electrons flow through a chip’s channels, which are only about 15 to 18 atoms wide.

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