![]() ![]() This provides a larger surface area for current to flow when the gate is on, resulting in greater performance at a lower operating voltage, with the option to add multiple fins, and reduced leakage as a result of the gate squeezing out free electrons from all three sides.Īccording to Intel, this implementation provides an 18 per cent performance increase in gate switching over the previous 32nm process when operating at 1V. As pictured above right, a Tri-Gate transistor features conducting channels on three sides of a vertical fin structure. Sounds easy enough, but remember that a traditional 32nm planar (2D) transistor is so small that more than 60 million of them would fit onto the head of a pin, and as transistors get smaller, it becomes more difficult to control leakage (where electrons continue to slip through the gate).Īnd that's where Tri-Gate (3D) transistors come in. The idea is to have as much current flowing as possible when the gate is on, as little flow as possible when the gate is off, and to switch between the two states as quickly as possible. When the gate is off, the conducting surface is depleted of free electrons resulting in little-to-no flow. When the gate in on, free electrons are attracted to the surface allowing current to flow. An Intel transistor creates a stream of electrons channelled through a high-k metal gate that controls the flow. Die shrinks have been, and continue to be, a contributing factor to Moore's Law, but in its move to 22nm Intel is also introducing Tri-Gate technology that improves performance and efficiency. The increase in the number of incorporated transistors is tightly linked with performance, but keeping up with Moore's Law is an engineering challenge. Making transistors smaller allows for a greater number to be incorporated in a chip, and as Intel co-founder Gordon Moore famously predicted the number of transistors in a chip will approximately double every 24 months. Transistors are the key active components in today's processors and their miniaturisation is regularly cited as the driving force behind modern electronic devices. This isn't something that's going to answer the question that troubles the masses - should I buy Core i3, i5 or i7 - but it's an important behind-the-scenes development and one that deserves a mention.įirst, a little primer. Ivy Bridge's first claim to fame is that it ushers in Intel's 22nm Tri-Gate transistor technology. "The number of transistors incorporated in a chip will approximately double every 24 months." But your interest in Intel's 2012 Tick shouldn't wane based on terminology alone, as there's more to Ivy Bridge than meets the eye. ![]() ![]() The Tick, then, is the Intel equivalent to Football's European Championship - you know it's going to be good, and you might even buy a ticket, yet it's the World Cup that follows that's really whetting your appetite. Applying that formula to what's new and upcoming tells us that Ivy Bridge is Sandy Bridge with sugar on top, and Haswell - a codename you'll be hearing more of in 2013 - will be formed from an entirely new microarchitecture recipe. Using recent history as a guideline, we know that Intel attempts to launch something revolutionary on a two year cadence, and then fills the void in between by introducing a product that makes the previous best that little bit better. Going back through the history books, Nehalem provided a major Tock to Penryn's Tick, Westmere ushered in the 32nm era, Sandy Bridge provided one of the most memorable Tocks of all time, and today, a little something called Ivy Bridge arrives to keep Intel innovation Ticking over for another year. Generally speaking, the Tock refers to major architecture revamp, while the Tick insinuates a minor architecture refresh coupled with a shrink in manufacturing process. Roughly every 12 months, Intel launches a new CPU architecture on what the manufacturer calls a 'Tick Tock' sequence. For those unfamiliar with Intel parlance, let's expand on the latter. We see a new fabrication process every two years (45nm in 2008, 32nm in 2010, 22nm in 2012, and so on) accompanied by a relentless Tick Tock release schedule. If there's one thing we should know about Intel processor technology, it's that it progresses like clockwork. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |