{"id":417842,"date":"2011-05-04T16:31:48","date_gmt":"2011-05-04T16:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/05\/04\/3d-chips-to-transform-devices\/"},"modified":"2011-05-04T16:31:48","modified_gmt":"2011-05-04T16:31:48","slug":"3d-chips-to-transform-devices","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/05\/04\/3d-chips-to-transform-devices\/","title":{"rendered":"3D chips to ‘transform’ devices"},"content":{"rendered":"

4 May 2011<\/span> Last updated at<\/span> 12:31 ET<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Intel has unveiled its next generation of microprocessor technology, code named Ivy Bridge.<\/p>\n

The upcoming chips will be the first to use a 22 nanometre manufacturing process, which packs transistors more densely than the current 32nm system.<\/p>\n

Intel said it would also be using new Tri-Gate “3D” transistors, which are less power hungry.<\/p>\n

Rival chip manufacturers including AMD and IBM are understood to be planning similar designs.<\/p>\n

Tri-Gate<\/span><\/p>\n

The announcement marks a significant step forward in the commercial processor industry, which is constantly striving to build more transistors onto silicon chips.<\/p>\n

One of the main measures of its progress is the length of the transistor “gate”, measured in nanometres (1nm = 1 billionth of a meter).<\/p>\n

A human hair is around 60,000 nm wide. Current best microchip technology features a 32nm gate.<\/p>\n

It has been known for a long time that 22nm technology would form the next stage in the evolution of microprocessors.<\/p>\n

However, the exact nature of Intel’s offering has been a closely guarded secret, until now.<\/p>\n

The company expects to begin commercial production later this year.<\/p>\n

Kaizad Mistry, Intel’s 22nm program manager, said that the arrival of Tri-Gate transistors would make a big difference to consumer products.<\/p>\n

“What it enables in the market is improved power efficiency – so better performance for the same battery life or longer battery life for the same performance,” said Mr Mistry.<\/p>\n

In microprocessor design, a conducting channel passes through a switching gate which opens or closes – changing the output from 0 to 1.<\/p>\n

Until now, those channels have been “planar” or flat on the silicon wafer.<\/p>\n

Intel’s Tri-Gate system replaces the channels with 3D “fins”. Mr Mistry explained that the extra surface area made them more conductive, and able to work better on lower power.<\/p>\n

Semiconductor industry analyst Dan Hutcheson from VLSI research told BBC News that the new process would secure Intel’s market dominance.<\/p>\n

“It leaves them in a very powerful position,” he said.<\/p>\n

Mr Hutcheson added that the innovation in 3D architecture would not only benefit Intel’s desktop processors, but the chips it manufactures for mobile devices.<\/p>\n

“This is going to make their Atom line a lot more competitive with ARM.”<\/p>\n

UK-based ARM Holdings is the leading designer of low-powered mobile processors.<\/p>\n

Moore’s law<\/span><\/p>\n

The Ivy Bridge design allows approximately twice as many transistors to be crammed into the same space as on 32nm chips.<\/p>\n

That improvement is consistent with Moore’s Law – the observation made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore that chip density would double every two years.<\/p>\n

However, Intel, like other chip manufacturers, is getting closer and closer to certain physical limits which may prevent that from continuing.<\/p>\n

The next chip manufacturing process will be 14nm, followed by 11nm.<\/p>\n

Atoms are typically around 0.5nm wide.<\/p>\n

Kaizad Mistry believes that the current rate of growth will continue for some time.<\/p>\n

“Gordon Moore himself said that no exponential is forever, but he would like us to delay that for as long as possible,” said Mr Mistry.<\/p>\n

“I have been in this industry since the mid-80s. At that time people were talking about the sub-micron barrier. There is always talk of a barrier.”<\/p>\n

Mr Mistry said that new innovations would keep processor design moving forward.<\/p>\n

Rival systems<\/span><\/p>\n

Intel currently accounts for around 80% of global microprocessor sales, according to market analysts IDC.<\/p>\n

Its nearest rival, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) has a 19% share.<\/p>\n

AMD was the first to produce a prototype 22nm chip in 2008.<\/p>\n

It is widely expected to pursue a similar fin-based system to Intel, known as FinFET.<\/p>\n

However, the company has yet to announce its plans for a commercial product.<\/p>\n

AMD spun off its chip fabrication arm in 2009, creating GlobalFoundaries.<\/p>\n

Mr Hutcheson said that the separation of design and manufacture had damaged AMD’s ability to innovate.<\/p>\n

“There is a huge competitor advantage to having your own fab [fabrication facility] and being able to tune the process.<\/p>\n

“This is Intel pulling away,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

See the article here:
\n3D chips to ‘transform’ devices<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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