Advanced Micro Devices is reportedly adopting strained silicon for an array of its processors that will be available this Fall. The design tweak is likely to improve the company’s ability to ship high-speed microprocessors while maintaining sufficient yield as well as keeping heat dissipation of the products into generally-acceptable envelope.
Silicon-on-Insulator and strained silicon appear to be the technologies that AMD, Intel and IBM pin a lot of hopes on during the next three to five years. Both technologies are intended to keep increasing the speed of current flowing through a microprocessor and to address the connected issues, such as power leakage. SOI adds a thin oxide layer to a silicon wafer in order to insulate the circuit against power leakage. Strained silicon, in its incarnation that is used by Intel Corp. and IBM, deposits a layer of silicon germanium on top of a silicon wafer. This stretches the silicon atoms to let electrons flow faster through a circuit.
According to reports from Semiconductor Reporter and CNET News.com, Advanced Micro Devices is incorporating strained silicon into all the firm’s 90nm microprocessors that started shipping last week. Additionally, the Sunnyvale, California-based chipmaker is expected to use strained silicon with its future 130nm microprocessors, which is a rather surprising move, as chipmakers typically tend to migrate to thinner fabrication processes to allow higher-speed chips and decrease production costs, but not to advance older-generation manufacturing technologies.
Representatives for Advanced Micro Devices are reported to have said that strained silicon approach of the company is different from what IBM and Intel Corp. use. Silicon can be strained as a byproduct of other design changes, but the AMD representative said the company intentionally incorporated new layers in chips to achieve straining, although AMD does not give a lot of details about its new technology.
IBM and AMD are developing 65nm manufacturing process in collaboration. AMD’s Silicon-on-Insulator process was originally developed by IBM.
Comments currently:
4
Discussion started: 08/20/04 02:08:16 AM
Latest comment: 08/23/04 01:54:31 AM
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1.
Use strained silicon 130nm microprocessors?
Maybe Sempron 754 chips without 64 bit's and only 256kn cache will give a good transistor count for low market.
Since taking the more expensive Amd64 and disable a lot of transistors must be expensive, even if they are already damaged processors (saved from going to trash).
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Posted by: I
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Date: 08/20/04 02:08:16 AM]
2.
This is stupid...Strained silicon have been used for over months, and the news sources thinks this is new? You gotta be kidding me!
Looking at the roadmaps, AMD is suffering similar issues as Intel and IBM.
Read between the lines folks...If AMD solved all their 90nm issues, don't you think they'll have 2.6GHz or even 2.8Ghz+ by now?
And this dual-core business? Its an admission to the world that : "Yep, this is it. We're f**ked, we can't push higher speeds like we used to, so we'll just slap on another core".
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Posted by: 256
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Date: 08/20/04 09:42:55 AM]
3.
Agreed. They just aren't saying, but it's clear they can't ramp up to 2.8 or even 2.6. Their highest priced chip "not as profitable" to make @ 90nm as the 3700 mobile which is over $300 less $$?
It's incredibly obvious they have production issues. And the 2.4ghz FX is getting very long in the tooth at this point.
It's pretty sad they've become all "marketing" talk as the substance begins to dry up and expose the same old AMD, able to produce nice products but unable to produce the top end ones. Sadly, I bet when Intel gets things worked out they are going to leave AMD choking technological dust.
Wish it weren't so. Wish AMD would do more than "talk" like they have what it takes, like they lead the industry. But in the end, its obvious, they cannot.
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Posted by: Anemone
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Date: 08/20/04 05:02:40 PM]
4.
Wait! AMD already have a processor with a PR of 3700+ and it's faster then anything intel has to offer... why should they bother sell new ones if they are on top of the things, if they start selling faster ones who will buy barton 2500+, sempron, ....
any brilliant idea how to sell "NEW" already phased out processor, with 3700+ ones and higher PR ratings?
Besides if you where amd you would not want to rush intel… let them be where they are now don’t you think?
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Posted by: I
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Date: 08/23/04 01:54:31 AM]
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