Posted on Monday, March 10 2008 @ 0:06 CET by Thomas De Maesschalck
Bob Baker, senior vice president of Intel's technology and manufacturing group, said at an analyst meeting that Intel has begun preparations for a switch to 32nm. Baker said they're also boosting 45nm production and are looking ahead to 22nm process technology, and smaller.
Baker notes that the move to 45 nm process technology from 65 nm has allowed for higher yields, more good dies per wafer and lower cost chips. With the Xeon server processor, he notes, the chip can generate 38% more performance at the same power. With 32 nm, the trend should continue.
Baker notes that here are two more 45 nm factories under construction; two are already producing chips at that size. There are 72 SKUs being produced on 45 nm lines, he says; Baker repeated comments CEO Paul Otellini made earlier in the afternoon that the company has already shipped more than 4 million 45 nm parts.
The company has a 291 million bit 32 nm test chip. The test chip launched about four months faster than in the prior generation, he says. Transistor density continue to double every two years, Baker says.
Intel is making plans also for 22 nm technology in 2011 and beyond.
Source: Barron's
