New transistor could extend battery life in portable devices

MIT Technology Review : Battery life is often the limiting factor in the usefulness of new devices ranging from cell phones to smart watches. A new transistor developed by SuVolta may help those devices use less energy. The new design reduces the transistors’ variability, which results from the manufacturing process. SuVolta’s solution was to modify the “channel” that allows or blocks the flow of electricity as the transistor is turned on and off. The company tested the transistors in a standard microchip designed by ARM Holdings, which makes many of the processors used by companies such as Apple and Samsung. In the tests, the modified chip used half as much power as the original when they ran at the same speed. When using the same power as the original, the modified chip ran 35% faster. And the modification is such that existing manufacturing lines can already produce the new transistors without having to undergo a major refit.