http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/beyond-silicon-15-billion-us-program-aims-spur-new-types-computer-chips > A wafer contains hundreds of tiny computer chips made from carbon nanotubes, which switch faster and more efficiently than transistors made from silicon. > Silicon computer chips have been on a roll for half a century, getting ever more powerful. But the pace of innovation is slowing. Today the U.S. military’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) announced dozens of new grants totaling $75 million in a program that aims to reinvigorate the chip industry with basic research into new designs and materials, such as carbon nanotubes. Over the next few years, the DARPA program, which supports both academic and industry scientists, will grow to $300 million per year up to a total of $1.5 billion over 5 years.