Thinner wires, faster electrons: Quantum material challenges copper at chip scale

Electrical interconnects may very well be the unsung heroes of modern microchips.

These tiny wires—typically made of copper due to its high conductivity—string together the billions of transistors that drive our computers and electronic devices.

But as the technology advances and additional transistors are piled on, the components must shrink to the nanoscale.

And that's when copper begins to fail. ...