Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

IBM Beats The Rest of the World To 7nm Chips, But You'll Need to Wait For Them

Posted by timothy on from the out-of-the-big-blue dept.

Mickeycaskill writes: IBM's research division has successfully produced test chips containing 7nm transistors, potentially paving the way for slimmer, more powerful devices. The advance was made possible by using silicon-germanium instead of pure silicon in key regions of the molecular-size switches, making transistor switching faster and meaning the chips need less power. Most current smartphones use processors containing 14nm technology, with Qualcomm, Nvidia and MediaTek looking for ways to create slimmer chips. However, despite its evident pride, IBM is not saying when the 7nm technology will become commercially available. Also at ComputerWorld and The Register.

2 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Re:It's about yield by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    So much BS coming out of IBM these days. Can I remind you of their 'worlds fastest CPU' (using clock speed of 5.2GHZ as the 'fastest' claim), actually is as powerful as a 1990s pentium, about 650 MIPS! But if you dare benchmark it they sue you under the license you signed when you paid millions for it.

    http://www.osnews.com/thread?438597

    You are right about yield, the idea of making a 7nm or 6nm or 5nm chip is there, but actually fabricating chips in a production run is the problem to be solved. Which they haven't done here.

    Perhaps Watson can help them, the way its helped nobody.

  2. Who cares what they did in the lab? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Intel will continue to manufacture hundreds of millions of chips a year.

    IBM will try to use their legal department to file patents and extort money from genuine chip manufacturers. Sadly, that's the only reason IBM have to do hardware R&D these days.