News


Intel's new transistor design makes for greener technology

6 August 2008 News

While there has been a lot of hype around Intel’s new High-k metal gate transistor technology for its 45 nm processors, few people understand the way in which it has changed microchip design.

Essentially, Intel has taken a new approach to the design of the transistor in an effort to reduce heat generation and power consumption, while at the same time improving overall transistor performance. Traditionally, silicon dioxide has been used to make the transistor gate dielectric, a design that has served the industry well for more than 40 years. Transistors as small as 1,2 nm in thickness have been incorporated into computer processors to allow for huge increases in performance. Unfortunately, as transistors have shrunk, the amount of current leakage through the gate dielectric has increased, resulting in power wastage and heat build-up.

In 2003, in an effort to address this problem, Intel took a completely new approach to the design of the metal gate dielectric, replacing silicon dioxide with a hafnium-based dielectric (high-k) material. The result is a reduction in current leakage by 10 times, a 30% reduction in switching power, and a 20% in switching speed. This breakthrough, described by co-founder of Intel, Gordon Moore of the ubiquitous Moore's Law, as the biggest advance for Intel since the company's establishment, has enabled Intel to advance to the next stage of its product development - 45 nm processors with double the number of transistors, ie, 400 million in a 45 nm dual core processor and 800 million in a quad core system.

With its 45 nm processors, Intel has been able to double performance without increasing the power envelope. At the same time, heat build-up in Intel's chips has been reduced, ensuring a more environmentally friendly operation. The new technology has also enabled Intel to add more functionality to its chips. For example, next generation microprocessors - codenamed Nehalem - will shortly be available with features that will further increase overall computing performance.

The new processors also meet the requirements for 'Green PCs', complying with the requirements of RoHS as well as lower power requirements, enabling users to make a positive contribution to the reduction in lead and halogen contaminants in the environment as well as greenhouse gases.





Share this article:
Share via emailShare via LinkedInPrint this page

Further reading:

Revamped technical training centre in Welkom
News
Resolution Circle has announced the launch of its newly revamped training centre in Welkom, which will enhance technical education and foster industry partnerships.

Read more...
E-mobility: Navigate safety, interoperability and conformance
Concilium Technologies News
In this whitepaper, these challenges are discussed in more detail and the question is asked: How can EV and EVSE manufacturers navigate a complex regulatory landscape and deliver a quality product, without compromising time-to-market projections?

Read more...
Navigating South Africa’s transition from the NQF to OQSF framework
News
South Africa is at a crossroads of a significant educational and vocational transition, as it shifts from the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) to the Occupational Qualifications Sub Framework (OQSF) managed by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations.

Read more...
Practical insights: Draft regulations on proposed sectoral targets
News
On 1 February 2024, the Minister of Employment and Labour issued new draft regulations concerning sectoral targets (draft regulations), providing a 90-day window for interested parties to comment.

Read more...
Top skills needed in microelectronics industry
News
The EU funded project MicroElectronics Training, Industry and Skills (METIS), which began in 2019, has officially concluded, and with this, SEMI Europe has published the final Yearly Monitoring Report.

Read more...
RS expands its professional lineup
RS South Africa News
RS PRO offers a wide range of high-quality electronics components, to meet a range of needs, from industrial connectors and passives to the latest test and measurement equipment.

Read more...
Alternative energy resource hub
News
Mouser Electronics is providing engineers with key information to solve today’s design challenges through its dedicated alternative energy resource centre.

Read more...
NECTO Studio 6.0 brings circuits to life
News
MIKROE has added increased graphical functionality and Clang support for ARM and RISC-V to its cross-platform IDE for embedded applications.

Read more...
Microchip earns certification in vehicle cybersecurity
Altron Arrow News
Microchip Technology’s corporate processes associated with specific automotive work products have recently been audited by a third party, UL Solutions, and certified as compliant to ISO/SAE 21434.

Read more...
From the editor's desk: A scourge on education
Technews Publishing News
The current government has done very little to curb the rampant affect that loadshedding has had on education in the last 10 years.

Read more...