Intel to develop tri-gate transistors based processors

Intel to develop tri-gate transistors based processors

Intel claims that their researchers have discovered a better way to insulate circuits. This would help the company pack more transistors onto each processor leading to more efficient products.

The company plans to start building chips with these new “tri-gate transistors” by 2010. Intel claims that these new processors can offer either a 45 percent increase in speed or a 35 percent reduction in total power used.

These performance gains are based on comparison to the company’s current 65-nanometer process transistors. Intel can benefit a lot from these processors, as power consumption by processors has become a big issue for big corporations including Google.

Intel’s smaller but competent rivals AMD have been touting that their Opteron chips are more efficient when it comes to power consumption and Intel needs a solid answer to this challenge.

Mike Mayberry, director of components research and vice president of Intel’s Technology and Manufacturing Group spoke about this new development: “Compared to carbon nanotubes, it is far easier to build. The problem with carbon nanotubes is that no one knows how to put them in a particular spot except by moving them one at a time. Even our smallest chips have millions of transistors, so that is an insurmountable challenge.”