Crystal impervious to radiation could be used in spaceship computers
Chemistry
Putting two forms of semiconductor material called gallium oxide together seems to make it completely resistant to radiation
By Alex Wilkins
Semiconductors are used in electronics, but are vulnerable to radiation
Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images
A crystal that can resist incredibly high doses of radiation could be used to build durable electronics for space travel or nuclear reactors.
When particle radiation hits a semiconductor – the conductive materials used to make electronics – it can knock atoms out of place, changing the material’s properties. This means that electronic devices in high radiation environments must be made more robust. One compound that has shown promise is gallium oxide, a semiconductor that can take five different crystalline forms.
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