Intel's new 3-D processor, codenamed "Ivy Gate" (right), and one of the previous generation of transistors (left). Photo courtesy Intel
Intel has announced the world's first 3-D microprocessor transistor for mass production.
It's a major breakthrough for the semiconductor industry, which has been trying for years to get the microscopic semiconductor structures that make up computer chips into the third dimension.
"This transition to 3-D devices will help us continue Moore's Law," said Intel senior fellow Mark Bohr at the news conference Wednesday. "Clearly you can pack more things into a small space if you go vertical with 3-D."
The Tri-Gate 3-D transistors will be put onto a new line of Intel chips. Dubbed "Ivy Bridge," the chips are the world's first mass-produced 22-nanometer microprocessors, which means they also contain the smallest semiconductors yet available on a production chip.
The creation of the 3-D transistor is a major advancement in chip manufacturing. Instead of the power-conducting channel occurring on a 2-D surface as with existing transistors, it is replaced with a thin silicon fin that rises vertically from the silicon of the transistor.
Current control is then gated on each of the fin's three sides on a 3-D transistor, rather than just on the top side, as happens in the current generation of planar, or 2-D, transistors.
Essentially, that means as much current flowing as possible when transistors are in the "on" state, increasing performance by as much as 30 percent compared to the current planar transistors. Alternately, when the transistor is in its "off" state, the flow will be as close to zero as possible, with lower leakage than before. This lower leakage means minimizing power usage.
In other words, the new line of processors will be smaller, faster and perform at a lower voltage with less power leakage than before.
Enhanced view of Intel's Tri-Gate 3-D transistor. Photo courtesy Intel
"It's the first change in transistor structure since 1958, when Robert Noyce invented the first planar IC," said Dan Hutcheson, an analyst at VLSI Research. "Over the past 10 years, all we've done is shrink the chips. But it's been growing more and more difficult to do so without actually changing the transistor itself."
Also, more transistors are able to be fit on the Ivy Bridge processors, using the company's 22-nanometer manufacturing process. Bohr said the new chips have twice the transistor density of the previous generation of 32-nanometer chips.
"Because they've made this shift, they have the power equivalence of about two nodes in one," Hutcheson said.
While most microprocessors contain many vertical layers of circuitry (the wiring that connects the chips' billions of transistors) the transistors have been confined to the bottom layer of the chip. That's because the etching technology used to create semiconductors is destructive, so you can't create multiple layers — or 3-D structures — without destroying the underlying layers.
Intel claimed only a 2-to-3-percent cost increase from the previous generation of planar transistors.
The company will be making upgrades to its factories over 2011 and 2012 in order to manufacture the new transistors. The technology should be expected to be in full production by the end of this year.
When asked, company spokesmen wouldn't say when we would see 3-D transistors in smartphones and tablets, but acknowledged the company has a date in mind.
While this is a major announcement for the firm, Intel's year hasn't been without its problems. The company revealed in February that a supporting chip in one of its "Sandy Bridge" line of processors, codenamed "Cougar Point," contained a manufacturing flaw. After shipping approximately 8 million of the bad chips, the subsequent recall cost the company an estimated $1 billion in the first quarter of 2011, after calculating for lost revenues and replacement costs.
But Intel has fared better this week. Apple announced its refreshed line of iMacs on Tuesday. They're powered by Intel's "Sandy Bridge" i5 and i7 processors. Early benchmarks show extremely speedy results.
With the development of the Tri-Gate transistor, Bohr estimates that Intel is definitely going to stay competitive with its rival, ARM Holdings.
"It doesn't mean that ARM is going to roll over and die," Hutcheson said. "But it's not going to have the advantage in low-power consumption like it used to."
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