The process used to make computer chips is measured in nanometres (nm) - with a lower number usually signifying a leap forward. IBM claims its test chip can improve performance by 45% over current 7nm commercially available products.

It is also more energy efficient - using 75% less energy to match current performance, IBM said. It claims the tech could "quadruple" mobile phone battery life, and phones might only need to be charged every four days.

The computer chip industry used to use nanometres - one billionth of a metre - to measure the physical size of transistors. Today, a lower "nm" number is widely seen as a marketing term to describe new generations of the technology, leading to better performance and lower power.