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Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tony Viola who wrote (94080)	12/15/1999 4:21:00 PM
From: Elmer	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 186894

Re: "Elmer, what are hot electrons? VTs voltage thresholds?" Well for an exact definition I'll pass this off to Paul, Yousef, Saturn or PB because I'm not a process expert, but "hot electrons" or I think "hot electron injection" is the name for a change that takes place over time in silicon that changes the VTs (yes voltage thresholds) and slows down transistor switching. To guarantee proper operation over the life of the part they are tested at a higher than rated frequency to compensate for future slowing down. So a 733MHz CuMine might very well run at 800MHz or so during it's early life. So overclockability may actually be a sign of a need for a greater guardband. So what looks like great headroom might just be the sign of a greater tendency to degrade. Expert's comments encouraged. EP