Chilly chip shatters speed record
- From: "MCP" <gf010w5035@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 06:30:40 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5099584.stm
The world's fastest silicon-based microchip has been demonstrated by scientists in
the US.
The prototype operates at speeds up to 500 gigahertz (GHz), more than 100 times
faster than desktop PC chips.
To break the world record, the researchers from IBM and the Georgia Institute of
Technology had to super-cool the chip with liquid helium.
The team believe the device could eventually speed up wireless networks and develop
cheaper mobile phones.
"Faster and faster chips open up new applications and reduce costs for existing
products," said Professor David Ahlgren of IBM.
Exotic chips
At the moment, most microchips are made from silicon.
But in recent years, there has been a realisation that silicon cannot match other
materials in terms of processing speed.
For applications that require huge amounts of calculations every second, like
collision warning systems in cars and trucks, companies use exotic materials to
produce the necessary power.
Materials like gallium arsenide are commonly used, but are expensive and difficult to
fabricate.
However, the chip industry would like to continue to use proven silicon manufacturing
technology that is reliable and cheap.
The new experiments were part of a project to explore the speed limits of devices
made of silicon and germanium.
Super cooled
Germanium is already added to the silicon chips used in mobile phones to make them
operate more efficiently.
Adding the element allows chips to run faster and use less power. Importantly, they
can also be fabricated using existing silicon techniques.
These chips are already known to operate at faster and faster speeds as they are
cooled.
To break the speed record, the researchers super-cooled an IBM prototype of a new
"high frequency" device to -268.5 degrees Celsius, using liquid helium.
This temperature is just above absolute zero, the theoretical minimum temperature
possible. When cooled, the chips were able to perform half a trillion calculations
every second, a speed of 500 GHz.
By comparison, a powerful desktop PC is capable of about five billion calculations
per second.
"A decade ago we couldn't even envisage being able to run at these speeds," said
Professor Ahlgren.
Next generation
At room temperature the chips still managed to outperform standard silicon chips,
running at about 350 billion calculations per second.
However, the researchers say they can push the chips even further.
"We observe effects in these devices at cryogenic temperatures which potentially make
them faster than simple theory would suggest," said Professor John Cressler of the
Georgia Institute of Technology.
The team believe it is possible to make chips run at 1,000 Ghz, or one Terahertz, at
room temperature.
"Understanding the basic physics of these advanced transistors arms us with knowledge
that could make the next generation of silicon-based integrated circuits even
better," said Professor Cressler.
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