Intel, IBM Announce Chip Breakthrough

Intel announced a major breakthrough in microprocessor design Friday that will allow it to keep on the curve of Moore's Law a while longer. IBM, working with AMD, rushed out a press release announcing essentially equivalent advances. Both companies said they will be using alloys of hafnium as insulating layers, replacing the silicon dioxide that has been used for more than 40 years. The New York Times story (and coverage from the AP and others) features he-said, she-said commentary from dueling analysts. If there is a consensus, it's that Intel is 6 or more months ahead for the next generation. IBM vigorously disputes this, saying that they and AMD are simply working in a different part of the processor market — concentrating on the high-end server space, as opposed to the portable, low-power end.

Chip Breakthrough....

[Prysorra]

But can they keep up with Lays? :D

Is this kdawson's first front page dupe

[antifoidulus]

Welcome to the club! On your application as editor, did you have to swear that you don't actually read slashdot as a precondition for employment like all the other editors?

Rename?

[somegeekynick]

What, now Silicon Valley becomes Hafnium Valley?

Re:Rename?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure. And in another 30 years or so, it'll be Quaternium Valley. Oh wait [wikipedia.org], that can't be right...

Re:Whaa?

[Anonymous Coward]

It is the consensus of my friends that I am a jerk. I vigorously dispute this.

Re:Two breakthroughs in one day?

[kharchenko]

Yes, Moores' law didn't account for dupe postings. If we could just post this news a few more times today we could jump decades ahead in terms of transistor density! Keep up the pace dear editors :)

Moore's Law is Dead! Or not!

[mschuyler]

The funny thing about this is that every few weeks you read some article that says, "Yup! That's it! We simply cannot get any more out of Moore's Law! It's dead."

Then a couple weeks later someone says, "Yup! We're gonna squeeze a few more years out of Moore's law. New advance! It isn't dead!"

Moore's Law is like the Energizer Bunny. It just keep's going.

Re:RFI? Electromigration?

[cheezedawg]

Golly- I hope that all of the PhDs working on Intel's 45nm process are reading /. today. I bet they never thought about that.

Re:Is this kdawson's first front page dupe

[QuickFox]

they misspelled it as halfnium

That's no misspelling, it is halfnium! You could have understood this yourself, if you hadn't been so quick to dole out criticism, and instead had spent a second considering the fact that they reduced the size from 90 nm to 45 nm.

Re:Moore's Law is Dead! Or not!

[noidentity]

"Moore's Law is like the Energizer Bunny. It just keep's going."

Moore's Law is like the inappropriate apostrophe. It just won't die.

Re:Rename?

[autophile]

What, now Silicon Valley becomes Hafnium Valley?

Let's hope that real estate prices get cut in haf :(

--Rob

Re:Diamonds are next....

[Anonymous Coward]

With all the "quality time" I spend with my computer, I'm surprised I haven't given it a diamond already.