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Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC)

INTC 40.03

-1.3%

Dec 1 3:59 PM EST

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To: Tony Viola who wrote (158324)	2/11/2002 1:51:22 PM
From: Robert Douglas	Read Replies (2) of 186894

Tony, The tool that Anand mentions (Focused Ion Beam) isn't exactly proprietary, it's made by another Oregon company named FEI Company (Ticker FEIC) I have been invested in this for several years and have never been able to drum up any interest in the FEIC board here at SI. My personal feeling is that FIBs are an idea whose time has come. <tout, tout> So if anyone is interested: Subject 24190 There’s another proprietary tool that Intel uses in order to fix these very types of problems – it’s called a Focused Ion Beam (FIB). The FIB tool is another large machine that takes a piece of silicon and instead of detecting problems with it the tool can be used to fix problems. Let’s say that using the LVP we mentioned earlier one of the operators discovers that the CPU has an extra NAND gate that must be bypassed. In order to bypass it, the input lines coming into the NAND gate and the output line leaving the gate must be cut, and a new connection must be made between those wires. In order for the FIB tool to have access to the part of the silicon that it will be operating on the core itself must be shaved down to around 1.7 microns in height. This obviously must be done with the utmost care otherwise the core may develop stress fractures and be completely ruined in the process. Intel has another set of tools that preps the core for use with the FIB tool. Once in the machine, the FIB can begin cutting wires and inserting new ones through the command of an operator sitting at a workstation. Depending on the complexity of the circuit repair being performed an average operation can take anywhere from a few hours to multiple days; all this just to add or remove a wire that’s hundredths of a micron in length. Keep that in mind the next time you get upset that AMD or Intel delays the release of a new CPU.

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