“In a presentation to exclusively invited reporters Friday morning, Intel announced a breakthrough development in microprocessor manufacturing that may be given historical significance in decades to come: the discovery of a new molecular compound material that will replace silicon dioxide in microprocessors using 45 nm and smaller lithographies,” Scott M. Fulton, III reports for BetaNews.
Fulton reports, “It is what both wide-eyed engineers and anxious executives have described as the “Holy Grail of semiconductor technology,” and Friday morning Intel revealed it has developed working 45 nm processor samples running Microsoft Windows Vista, Mac OS X, Linux and other operating systems, where this material – a compound based on the element hafnium, atomic number 72, a frequently occurring impurity in zirconium typically found in fake diamonds – serves as the dielectric gate between the current source and the current drain.”
Fulton reports, “With the hafnium material serving as the gate, Intel will then replace the polysilicon electrode layer with a metal electrode, the exact alloy used here also being kept secret. As a result, transistors for 45 nm semiconductors starting with Intel’s Penryn family will be fabricated at half the size of those used in today’s 65 nm Core 2 processors. At the same time, transistor switching power can be reduced by as much as 30%, while still obtaining a performance improvement of as much as 20%.”
Fulton reports, “Intel’s director of operations for its Digital Enterprise Group, Steve Smith, told reporters to expect a range of five new products using 45 nm lithography to emerge from Intel in the second half of 2007, to be released for the desktop, mobile, and server segments probably the same way the company approached its successful Core 2 Duo rollout last summer, in the following categories:”
• A dual-core notebook processor with a 35W power envelope
• A new dual-core/quad-core processor family for desktops
• A new dual-core/quad-core processor family for dual-processor servers
Fulton reports, “The exact sequence of introduction will depend on customers’ readiness, Smith added. Later, he told reporters he cannot guarantee that every motherboard currently in production for Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad processors will support these new families, though it’s possible that some may.”
Full article, highly recommended, here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy and Mac Prodigal Son” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Intel announces breakthrough ‘Penryn’ processor family; slated for production in second half 2007 – January 27, 2007
Intel processor breakthrough biggest chip advance in 40 years; coming before year end – January 27, 2007
Intel to announce processor breakthrough; new chips will run faster, consume less power – January 27, 2007
Intel pledges 80-core processor within five years – September 26, 2006
Apple chose well: Anandtech – Intel Core 2 Duo ‘the fastest desktop processor we’ve ever tested’ – July 14, 2006
Apple chose well: Intel poised to take massive lead across the board over AMD – June 07, 2006
Intel first to demonstrate working 45nm chips – January 26, 2006
Intel-based Macs running both Mac OS X and Windows will be good for Apple – June 10, 2005
Apple to use Intel microprocessors beginning in 2006, all Macs to be Intel-based by end of 2007 – June 06, 2005
I will defend your right to post whatever you want. Still, I’m curious. When a proponent of your philosophy and intellectual persuasion uses pejorative terms, you consider this acceptable if not commendable, but when a person with an opposite view uses the same literary tactics you have the gall to criticize them. Explain yourself, hypocrite.
Also, describe how you came to the opinion that I am a Windows fanatic. I’m sure we would all like to read how you derived this conclusion with no supporting evidence, idiot.
Hey Powering, very funny. You sound like a corporate press release! The sad part is that literal thinkers don’t seem to “get” sarcasm and irony. So, I get a double laugh!
As for Global Warming/Climate Change… while there are incredible complexities involved and yes, there have been shifts in temperature in the past, none have been found to have happened so quickly… what is it 150 years since the start of the Industrial Revolution? It’s not all fossil fuel use, but deforestation on a massive scale around the globe., etc..
While you’re welcome to sit around and debate the when, why, where and who’s to blame of the situation… it’s idiotic NOT to take drastic steps to try and minimize the human/industrial impact we ARE making. If humans can manage to live more cleanly and efficiently, where’s the harm?
On a personal level, do we need to use a 2 1/2 ton vehicle to move 200lbs of gristle, bone and blubber a few miles to go shopping? It makes little sense to me. BTW: I do NOT own a car. I use public transportation, walk and bicycle. Whenever possible, I buy recycled, locally produced and organic products, with minimal packaging. Of course, it’s nearly impossible NOT to use mass produced products, but why not try to personally minimize it? It’s the smart thing to do.
I see little point in taking drastic measures to reduce a person’s carbon footprint. It only works when most people are participating – and that’s just not going to happen. We can’t even convince half of our population to NOT vote for a giggling, warmongering idiot.
BTW, I commute on a motorcycle on most days without rain or snow. Saves tons on gas. I believe a monetary reward is a far more effective motivator than trying to guilt people into conservation.
Back on topic, I’m happy Steve J. had the vision to switch to Intel processors when he had the chance. That’s why Apple needs him and can’t survive without him.
We can’t even convince half of our population to NOT vote for a giggling, warmongering idiot.
Boo Hoo, George Bush won’t tax working people to give me FREE Healthcare… BOOO HOOO, and rich people need to pay my bills, BOOO HOOOO…
I have important things to do all day like play computer games and type on message boards, (I don’t have time to work) and those conservatives won’t give me a handout… BOOOOO HOOOOO Vote For Hillary – She’ll tax those working people and give me money so I can stay home all day and pretend to be important on the Internet!!!!
Some people will not ride a motorcycle owing to the inherent risks to life and limb.
You global warming jingoists people really amaze me. You condemn Bush for his war on terror based on erroneous interpretation of incomplete information, yet you are willing to follow Al Gore and his mindless drones although the validity of global warming hypothesizes have not been properly authenticated with scientifically precise and unbiased data.
Bush acted on biased interpretation of faulty intelligence, but he did act in the best interest of people under the established threat of terrorism. However, having enough people voting for giggling, imbeciles that cannot distinguish between scientific evidence and fear mongering (e.g. Al Gore et al) is not likely to produce desirable results, either, regardless of the similar motivation to act according to “best interest”.
Yeah, you pseudo-scientists think just like George Bush, you just won’t admit it.
To all the *irony* poster. C’mon guys, it is now outdated. At first we had true moron Windows users. Now that they are gone under a rock you *irony* posters try to replace them. Get this: funny once, tired, stretched and botehrsome the next time.
Give it a break. We already have the same old soup of Zune Tang (a broken record). Now comes the PowerSimpleton.
YAWN. Like a bad bad comedian. Too bad I can’t throw rotten tomatos at your posts: now that would be funny!
@ that anonymous @-someone guy:
Science isn’t about politics or Al Gore. Just because something about science pisses you off doesn’t mean it’s “junk science”. Don’t politicize science. Thank you.
You mean, when you get your proverbial asses kicked with intelligence and logic, you bring out the “Stop it, we can’t bear it anymore.” rhetoric. Obviously, the only way to defend your global warming hypotheses is to cast dispersions on your critics rather than provide any supporting scientific evidence to your opinion.
Here’s something for you global warming pseudoscientists to consider:
http://www.scienceteecher.com/miracle.htm
Yeah, I know how pesky me and others like me are to get you people to defend your wishes to change the economic, political, and social structures of the world based upon your fabricated opinions. I just think it would be prudent to have real scientific evidence to justify major societal shifts in behavior before causing truly unintended and human-generated catastrophic events.
Let’s face it, you people made the “environmental impact statement” the legal requisite for private companies and governmental organizations before a single blade of grass was disturbed. Why don’t you people provide an “economic impact statement” to quantify the effects of your remedial steps to prevent your feeble predictions of human extinction.
If your only defense to reorganizing the social and economic structures on this planet is ridiculing your opponent rather than providing convincing evidence of the human impact on global warming, you really don’t understand the question much less the problem.
Seriously, who is politicizing the issue when critics of the scientific methods of global warming are treated unfairly by the Joseph McCarthy’s of your persuasion? It’s a real shame that your kind cannot “tolerate” the questions persons who do not share the same dire opinions as you and feel motivated to threaten others with loss of funding and loss of promotion. Not very scientific, is it? Seems more like political intrigue rather than intellectual enlightenment to me.
Yours Smugly,
So what exactly does Intel’s breakthrough have to do with the Dark Ages?
Other than the fact today’s processor engineering is barely above alchemy!
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Thing are getting wild when those fat bumbling electrons are considered a limitation…
Is there a real question or an intelligent thought amongst your gibberish? I can’t answer you, because I don’t perceive a coherent message.
They reinvented the transistor….
It called the iTransistor…Cisco will file suit on Monday.
Is there a real question or an intelligent thought amongst your gibberish? I can’t answer you, because I don’t perceive a coherent message
The pull your head out of your ass. It’s affecting your vision and comprehension.
I love the irony of certain politicians, who fly their entourages around the country & tell us we need to reduce CO2 emissions and cut oil consumption.
Whatever happened to “leading by example”?
If scientists knew that increasing CO2 would make the plant uninhabitable, where were the papers warning of this impending disaster in the 1970’s? Thirty years ago, the prevailing opinion was that global cooling was the greatest climatological threat to humans. As I recall, motorized vehicles and industrial plants in the late 19th century through the 1970’s generated far more CO2 than vehicles and plants today, therefore global warming should have been the real threat of human extinction. You pathetic people simply attempt to justify your feeble opinions with the flimsiest and most paltry data. Global warming advocates today are the same people 30 years ago who claimed that the next ice age was coming when CO2 emissions were essentially unregulated: pseudoscientists simply expressing the fear du jour, emotional idiots without a lick of scientific credibility, that’s all.
I like the way this person refers to us as you people, as though they’re from another planet.
What would you suggest, professor emeritus of English grammar? Apparently, if the only criticism that you have is my choice of words to refer to my adversaries, you must agree that my basic point that global warming is just another re-run of pseudoscientific nonsense that first raised it’s demented head in the 1970’s.
Tell me, does the use of an emoticon in your thread give you additional credibility as profound thinker, or rather, does it simply draw attention to your lack of maturity and intellectual sophistication?
AMD responded – saying they’re working on a “thirdnium” chip, and IBM has a forthnium process in the works.
Faster processors = more porn!
Careful, lad, you might have to endure the wrath of Macaday. Very intelligent comeback, for a moron, you’re not a moron are you? Too bad schoolyard taunts don’t translate very well to real intellectual discussion. Again, “you people” demonstrate my point that you really haven’t a clue about what it is you believe much less understand. In the face of real criticism, you fold. You’re out of your league.
Wow – looks like MDN is turning into Fark.com. How long before one of you conservatoads summons Bevets?
“Use your Intel macs to learn Windows and embrace the future: get a
copy of Windows Vista, and get ready for real jobs in the real IT world”
Because you need computers that work (the intel Macs) while you fix the ones that don’t (the one’s running Vista)
You guys are hormonal. Go get girlfriends or something.
And I quote:
When a proponent of your philosophy and intellectual persuasion uses pejorative terms, you consider this acceptable if not commendable, but when a person with an opposite view uses the same literary tactics you have the gall to criticize them. Explain yourself, hypocrite.
Very telling indeed.
You’ve attacked and insulted everyone here under a veil of anonymity! My, how valiant of you!
You’ve made no inquiries, nor have you asked anyone to clarify their viewpoint or opinion, which is the way educated people begin a discussion.
You aren’t interested in anyone else’s viewpoint and came here to hurl insults, didn’t you? Come on you can tell us, it’s okay.
Instead, you’ve made some lofty assumptions and have tried to impress us with your knowledge but it isn’t working. You want to know why?
People who don’t ask questions can avoid pursuing a deeper, more meaningful dialogue and reduce the risk of being exposed as a fraud. It’s obvious to me, and I suspect everyone else, your words are unoriginal and lack any spontaneity whatsoever.
In fact, your arguments are woefully misplaced. Perhaps you would be better served if you took your scholarly diversions to the Free Republic where you can commiserate with others who won’t ask questions.
We confide in our strength, without boasting of it; we respect that of others, without fearing it. — Thomas Jefferson
“…[A] metal electrode, the exact alloy used here also being kept secret.”
Unlike Intel’s graphic showing their “metal electrode,” it is a two-layer affair. As for how it’s been “kept secret,” one of their recent patents reveals the electrodes general construction:
Patent No. 7,153,784: Method for making a semiconductor device having a high-k gate dielectric layer and a metal gate electrode
Claim 4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first metal layer comprises a material that is selected from the group consisting of hafnium, zirconium, titanium, tantalum, aluminum, and a metal carbide, and the second metal layer comprises a material that is selected form the group consisting of ruthenium, palladium, platinum, cobalt, nickel, and a conductive metal oxide.
Claim 5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first metal layer comprises a material that is selected from the group consisting of ruthenium, palladium, platinum, cobalt, nickel, and a conductive metal oxide and the second metal layer comprises a material that is selected form the group consisting of hafnium, zirconium, titanium, tantalum, aluminum, and a metal carbide.