Since the launch of the 4004 in 1971 by Intel, the number of transistors integrated processors has continued to grow. Nowadays, a Core i7 Gulftown possesses eg 1.17 billion (against 2300 for the 4004), and some like the GT400 GPU Nvidia even reach 3 billion transistors. These achievements were made possible by a still finer etching transistors, and the development of technologies - Strained Silicon or more recently the High-k Metal Gate - to provide solutions to the difficulties over time, as leakage currents which result in an increase in consumption.
Each technological advance in this area has pushed back a little further limitations in terms of miniaturization. Intel just announced by the voice of its CEO Paul Otellini, that its future processors Ivy Bridge would be the first to benefit from transistors "Tri-Gate" in 3 dimensions. While so far the transistor has a planar structure, the source and the drain of the new Tri-Gate transistors are now "embedded" in the grid instead of being simply placed underneath.
The founder has worked for several years on these new transistors, but no chip using them had so far been produced on a large scale. In practice, this technology should improve the performance of 37% and 50% reduction in power consumption with a lower threshold voltage. This 3D structure would also improve the speed of change of state of the transistor (the time it takes for the electronic switch to switch "on" to "off"), and thus the frequency achievable.
Tri-Gate technology would finally increase the number of transistors that can be placed on any surface. In short, Intel has almost reinvent the transistor ... 
Each technological advance in this area has pushed back a little further limitations in terms of miniaturization. Intel just announced by the voice of its CEO Paul Otellini, that its future processors Ivy Bridge would be the first to benefit from transistors "Tri-Gate" in 3 dimensions. While so far the transistor has a planar structure, the source and the drain of the new Tri-Gate transistors are now "embedded" in the grid instead of being simply placed underneath.
The founder has worked for several years on these new transistors, but no chip using them had so far been produced on a large scale. In practice, this technology should improve the performance of 37% and 50% reduction in power consumption with a lower threshold voltage. This 3D structure would also improve the speed of change of state of the transistor (the time it takes for the electronic switch to switch "on" to "off"), and thus the frequency achievable.
Tri-Gate technology would finally increase the number of transistors that can be placed on any surface. In short, Intel has almost reinvent the transistor ...
- Intel video explains revolutionary Tri-Gate 3D transistors (04/05/2011)
- Will Intel Unveil Revolutionary Tri-Gate Transistors Wednesday? (03/05/2011)
- Intel reinvents the transistor as a 3D Tri-Gate (04/05/2011)
- Intel 22nm 3-D Tri-Gate Transistor Technology (04/05/2011)
- Intel transitions chips into third dimension (04/05/2011)
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