Stanford researchers have revealed that a different sheathing material, grapheme, is capable of boosting processor signal speeds by 30%.

Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a strong yet thin lattice. Millions of transistors connected to an extensive network of copper wires were included in a typical computer chip. For years, a material called tantalum nitride has formed a protective layer around chip wires.

But now Ling Li, a graduate student in electrical engineering at Stanford and first author of the research paper, explained why changing the exterior wrapper on connecting wires can have such a big impact on chip performance.

The protective layer isolates the copper from the silicon on the chip and allows to conduct electricity. The transistors act like tiny gates on silicon chips that help to switch electrons on or off. That switching function helps transistors process data. The copper wires between the transistors transport this data once it is processed.

Currently tantalum nitride is the isolating material that keeps the copper from migrating into the silicon transistors and delivering them non-functional.

However, there are reasons to switch to graphene. The Stanford team found that tantalum nitride was eight times thicker than the graphene layer and does the same work.

Graphene could also serve as an auxiliary conductor of electrons. The thinness of the graphene layer and its dual role as isolator and auxiliary conductor will allow new wire technology to carry more data between transistors. This will help to speed overall chip performance.