Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

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

To: Bill Jackson who wrote (61960)	8/6/1998 7:14:00 PM
From: Gordon Hodgson	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 186894

Interesting article on SOI Intel tests cast doubt on IBM chip 'breakthrough' SOI isn't always what it's cracked-up to be, says internal document Posted 5 August 1998 IBM's latest 'magic bullet' for faster, more efficient chips has failed to impress Intel's engineers, as an Intel internal briefing document makes clear. Earlier this week, IBM said it had mastered a technology called silicon on insulator (SOI) which would give both a performance breakthrough and a reduction in power consumption on semiconductors. That, claimed IBM Microelectronics, could lead to processors operating at three times the speed they currently do. But an internal briefing document from Intel shows that the chip giant has made its own research into SOI and found it wanting. According to the briefing, Intel's conclusion is that SOI gives lower performance for its higher performance semiconductors than current silicon technology. It has demonstrated fast 450MHz SRAMs using a 0.25 micron SOI technology but that is slower than a 550MHz SRAM it is producing using standard silicon. The reasons are technical. According to the briefing, SOI shows an 18 per cent better performance for gate loaded circuits because of reduced junction capacitance, but delivers 15 per cent lower performance for interconnect loaded circuits than the silicon currently available. Intel also said that in high speed CPUs where interconnects account for over 30 per cent of the total semiconductor capacitance, SOI offers insignificant power reduction. That means that SOI will provide no speed and insignificant power advantages for sub-0.25 micron logic applications, said Intel. IBM Microelectronics could not be contacted for its reaction to Intel's rebuttal. Logical Networks -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Register is c 1998 Situation Publishing. All rights reserved. Use the back key on your browser to return to the previous page... Front Page Back to the Top Copyright c 1998 Situation Publishing. All Rights Reserved.