Sydney, Australia, May 5, 2011 \u2013 Intel Corporation today announced a significant breakthrough in the evolution of the transistor, the microscopic building block of modern electronics. For the first time since the invention of silicon transistors over 50 years ago, transistors using a three-dimensional structure will be put into high-volume manufacturing. Intel will introduce a revolutionary 3-D transistor design called Tri-Gate, first disclosed by Intel in 2002, into high-volume manufacturing at the 22-nanometre (nm) node in an Intel chip codenamed \u201cIvy Bridge.\u201d A nanometre is one-billionth of a metre.<\/p>\n
The three-dimensional Tri-Gate transistors represent a fundamental departure from the two-dimensional planar transistor structure that has powered not only all computers, mobile phones and consumer electronics to-date, but also the electronic controls within cars, spacecraft, household appliances, medical devices and virtually thousands of other everyday devices for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cIntel\u2019s scientists and engineers have once again reinvented the transistor, this time utilising the third dimension,\u201d said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini. \u201cAmazing, world-shaping devices will be created from this capability as we advance Moore\u2019s Law into new realms.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scientists have long recognised the benefits of a 3-D structure for sustaining the pace of Moore\u2019s Law as device dimensions become so small that physical laws become barriers to advancement. The key to today\u2019s breakthrough is Intel\u2019s ability to deploy its novel 3-D Tri-Gate transistor design into high-volume manufacturing, ushering in the next era of Moore\u2019s Law and opening the door to a new generation of innovations across a broad spectrum of devices.<\/p>\n
Moore\u2019s Law is a forecast for the pace of silicon technology development that states that roughly every two years transistor density will double, while increasing functionality and performance and decreasing costs. It has become the basic business model for the semiconductor industry for more than 40 years.<\/p>\n
Unprecedented Power Savings and Performance Gains
\nIntel\u2019s 3-D Tri-Gate transistors enable chips to operate at lower voltage with lower leakage, providing an unprecedented combination of improved performance and energy efficiency compared to previous state-of-the-art transistors. The capabilities give chip designers the flexibility to choose transistors targeted for low power or high performance, depending on the application.<\/p>\n
The 22nm 3-D Tri-Gate transistors provide up to 37 per cent performance increase at low voltage versus Intel\u2019s 32nm planar transistors. This incredible gain means that they are ideal for use in small handheld devices, which operate using less energy to \u201cswitch\u201d back and forth. Alternatively, the new transistors consume less than half the power when at the same performance as 2-D planar transistors on 32nm chips.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe performance gains and power savings of Intel\u2019s unique 3-D Tri-Gate transistors are like nothing we\u2019ve seen before,\u201d said Mark Bohr, Intel Senior Fellow. \u201cThis milestone is going further than simply keeping up with Moore\u2019s Law. The low-voltage and low-power benefits far exceed what we typically see from one process generation to the next. It will give product designers the flexibility to make current devices smarter and wholly new ones possible. We believe this breakthrough will extend Intel\u2019s lead even further over the rest of the semiconductor industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Continuing the Pace of Innovation \u2013 Moore\u2019s Law
\nTransistors continue to get smaller, cheaper and more energy efficient in accordance with Moore\u2019s Law \u2013 named for Intel co-founder Gordon Moore. Because of this, Intel has been able to innovate and integrate, adding more features and computing cores to each chip, increasing performance, and decreasing manufacturing cost per transistor.<\/p>\n
Sustaining the progress of Moore\u2019s Law becomes even more complex with the 22nm generation. Anticipating this, Intel research scientists in 2002 invented what they called a Tri-Gate transistor, named for the three sides of the gate. Today\u2019s announcement follows further years of development in Intel\u2019s highly coordinated research-development-manufacturing pipeline, and marks the implementation of this work for high-volume manufacturing.<\/p>\n
The 3-D Tri-Gate transistors are a reinvention of the transistor. The traditional \u201cflat\u201d two-dimensional planar gate is replaced with an incredibly thin three-dimensional silicon fin that rises up vertically from the silicon substrate. Control of current is accomplished by implementing a gate on each of the three sides of the fin \u2013 two on each side and one across the top — rather than just one on top, as is the case with the 2-D planar transistor. The additional control enables as much transistor current flowing as possible when the transistor is in the \u201con\u201d state (for performance), and as close to zero as possible when it is in the \u201coff\u201d state (to minimise power), and enables the transistor to switch very quickly between the two states (again, for performance).<\/p>\n
Just as skyscrapers let urban planners optimise available space by building upward, Intel\u2019s 3-D Tri-Gate transistor structure provides a way to manage density. Since these fins are vertical in nature, transistors can be packed closer together, a critical component to the technological and economic benefits of Moore\u2019s Law. For future generations, designers also have the ability to continue growing the height of the fins to get even more performance and energy-efficiency gains.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor years we have seen limits to how small transistors can get,\u201d said Moore. \u201cThis change in the basic structure is a truly revolutionary approach, and one that should allow Moore\u2019s Law, and the historic pace of innovation, to continue.\u201d<\/p>\n
World\u2019s First Demonstration of 22nm 3-D Tri-Gate Transistors
\nThe 3-D Tri-Gate transistor will be implemented in the company\u2019s upcoming manufacturing process, called the 22nm node, in reference to the size of individual transistor features. More than 6 million 22nm Tri-Gate transistors could fit in the period at the end of this sentence.<\/p>\n
Today, Intel demonstrated the world\u2019s first 22nm microprocessor, codenamed \u201cIvy Bridge,\u201d working in a laptop, server and desktop computer. Ivy Bridge-based Intel\u00ae Core\u2122 family processors will be the first high-volume chips to use 3-D Tri-Gate transistors. Ivy Bridge is slated for high-volume production readiness by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
This silicon technology breakthrough will also aid in the delivery of more highly integrated Intel\u00ae Atom\u2122 processor-based products that scale the performance, functionality and software compatibility of Intel\u00ae architecture while meeting the overall power, cost and size requirements for a range of market segment needs.<\/p>\n
About Intel
\nIntel (NASDAQ: INTC) is a world leader in computing innovation. The company designs and builds the essential technologies that serve as the foundation for the world\u2019s computing devices. Additional information about Intel is available at newsroom.intel.com and blogs.intel.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sydney, Australia, May 5, 2011 \u2013 Intel Corporation today announced a significant breakthrough in the evolution of the transistor, the microscopic building block of modern electronics. For the first time since the invention of silicon transistors over 50 years ago, transistors using a three-dimensional structure will be put into high-volume manufacturing. Intel will introduce a<\/p>\n