“Scientists at IBM say they have figured out how to produce smaller and more powerful microchips than previously thought possible. It is hoped IBM’s announcement at San Jose on Monday will mean the creation of miniscule microprocessors which will save the IT manufacturing sector billions of dollars,” electricnews.net reports via The Register. “The breakthrough revolves around the distance between the circuit-lines chip makers must ‘draw’ onto the surface of a computer processor. IBM scientists declared they can now draw lines on silicon much closer together than ever before. Current techniques are not expected to work on chips smaller than 32nm. However, staff at IBM Research have created structures on a processor measuring 29.9nm, using a form of deep-ultraviolet optical lithography.”
“The entire semiconductor industry exists under the threat of Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, who in 1965 predicted that the number of transistors on a chip would have to double every few years until it became physically impossible to fit them onto a processor,” electricnews.net reports. “‘Our goal is to push optical lithography as far as we can so the industry does not have to move to any expensive alternatives until absolutely necessary,’ IBM manager of lithography materials Dr Robert D Allen said. ‘This result is the strongest evidence to date that the industry may have at least seven years of breathing room before any radical changes in chip-making techniques would be needed,’ he said.”
Full article here.
CNET has more details in their report here.
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Related MacDailyNews article:
Intel reveals first glimpse of quad-core ‘Clovertown’ chip coming later this year – February 11, 2006
Gee, I sure am glad IBM is doing so much innnovation — or is it PR– since Apple announced the switch. Guess that whole Service business isn’t working out.
Nice experiment. How many years until the chips are on the market?
Let’s see who’ll be making jokes in a couple of years…
Yes, microprocessor companies love to talk about things they might be able to do some day.
Last year, at the Platform 2015 conference, an Intel senior fellow predicted that by 2015 we should have chips with HUNDREDS OF CORES.
I’ll believe it when I see it. Until then, it’s just talk, whether from IBM or Intel. And in the meantime, Intel is kicking IBM’s ass all the way to the bank.
Hate is a strong word….
Strong is a hate word…
Well remember IBM’s interest in the desktop/portable sector was very much a fleeting fancy. If there had’ve been a serious long term vision all those years ago then we might have had some serious competition in the CPU arena.
But unfortunately, because IBM (and Moto/Freescale) were incapable of seeing beyond the end of their noses the promise of ‘PPC everywhere’ has fallen flat, at least for the not too distant future.
“Whew”: Yeah, that’s right. We all loved IBM. Now we all hate them. That’s the whole story. It’s not like there was a, you know, reason for us to change our mind? Like, say, IBM jerking Apple’s chain over and over?
And you call us trolls. Whew, indeed…
When is enough enough? Is this going to help solve world problems, like crushing overpopulation and religious wars? I thought not.
What you didn’t read in this excerpt was that this new technology uses far ultra-violet to achieve the 29.9nm size (i.e. requires retooling). Given that it only represents a 7% savings from the 32nm process, and that an x-ray process can go much smaller than 29.9nm, this technology may never see the light of day.
Also, it isn’t going to be going into any fab in the near future. Very much vaporware at this point.
Rainy Day,
who didn’t read that ?
Not only did I read it, but I mentioned it here more than four hours ago.
ibm is all theory and lab tests, but doesnt produce
Note that just last week, IBM said it would ship Power6 chips at up to 5Ghz within a year. Note that Power6 is basically a PPC chip minus Altivec. Also note that IBM said the G5 would break 3Ghz within a year.. and that was like 3 years ago. Also note that IBM is still having trouble producing chips at 65nm while Intel is starting to get useful yields out of 45nm.
In other words, IBM is taking a Parthian Shot at Apple, “oh look at what we might have done for you if you’d just stuck with us.” Yeah right.
F–k IBM! They screwed over Apple and now they are screwing over Sony (rumored delayed release of the PS3). They’re just trying to create some positive publicity for themselves for once.
To Apple Users
Welcome to Intel.
From your beloved PC user.
People. Please that is why it is so important that all applications are universal.
Apple is now able to change the processor quickly, if one of the big three chip maker comes out with a faster chip.
Apple will not be behind the 8-ball again.
Yeah, but will it ever come with an Apple logo on the outside? Wha…probably not, well in that case who cares?
people who have at least half a clue about technology.
ipodluvr this does not include you.
Thomas:”People. Please that is why it is so important that all applications are universal.
Apple is now able to change the processor quickly, if one of the big three chip maker comes out with a faster chip.
Apple will not be behind the 8-ball again.”
Thomas, Universal Binaries have absolutely nothing to do with having the choice to switch back and forth between processors. It’s about transitioning TO Intel. Apple has switched over to using Intel processors – end of story.