3D Transistors

[rcallicotte]

http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/intel-moores-law-has-been-cubed-welcome-to-3-d-transistors/48216?tag=mantle_skin;content

[Henry Blewer]

Wait until they start building 4 dimension transistors. But that will take quantum level particle manipulation. We're not there yet.

[rcallicotte]

This is where it all happens.  This 3D transistor idea will change everything.

[penang]

Actually finFET isn't something new.

Back in 2004 Samsung already had working prototypes of finFET for DRAM.

http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4123556/Samsung-devises-d-finFET-for-next-gen-DRAMs

[rcallicotte]

The article said it was in a theory stage back then, but we're about to experience the reality of it.

[jaf]

Yes, things go from theory to "on-the-shelf" much quicker these days (or maybe I'm just getting old!)

It's funny looking back at the "we're approaching the limits" on things like hard drive sizes, GPU designs, etc., and most of these have been easily overcome (and cheaper, too!)

[penang]

Sorry, Calico.

Intel's "finFET CPU" is reportedly named "Ivy Bridge", which is, to my knowledge, NOT AVAILABLE to the public yet.

Which means, until Intel sells the "Ivy Bridge" CPU to the public, it is as good as vaporware.

On the other hand, Samsung's finFET design for DRAM has already been deployed, starting late 2010. Their 32nm DDR3 chips have finFET structure built inside.

[rcallicotte]

"Ivy Bridge will be ready for production at the end of the year."

"Intel first detailed 3-D transistors in 2002, and now these chips will hit the market."

[Tangled-Universe]

I wouldn't qualify something

"Ivy Bridge will be ready for production at the end of the year."
"Intel first detailed 3-D transistors in 2002, and now these chips will hit the market."

Indeed, also, I wouldn't qualify something announced (and at this stage of development) by Intel as "vaporware" right away.

[Henry Blewer]

I saw a video from Intel. They are saying that they will be shipping high end, workstation CPU's 4th quarter 2011 or first 2012. But now I can't find the link.

[rcallicotte]

A bunch from Google News --

http://www.google.com/search?q=Intel%27s+3d+transistor&hl=en&biw=1173&bih=782&prmd=ivnsu&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=BxXITbrpJsyhtwfTvMScBA&ved=0CDkQqAI



All I see on Intel's site -

http://www.intel.com/technology/silicon/integrated_cmos.htm

[max_thehitman]

That is pretty amazing.
In about a decade from now (maybe less) humans will be able to build a super computer
able to think, talk and even walk like us. Nevermind, I just saw someone building one on
the Discovery channel.
Soon, some big corporate business named SkyNet will build a robot which looks like Arrrrrnold
Schwaneeeegger... Arrrrnold will then destroy all humans!!
Wait a minute, I have seen this scenario somewhere 

[Kadri]

...
In about a decade from now (maybe less) humans will be able to build a super computer
able to think, talk and even walk like us...

Decade? I don't think so!
Space 1999, 2001: A Space Odyssey etc. Many things happens to be harder as first assumed unfortunately.
Especially consciousness , thought ...
There are little steps . But if it would happen in 20-30 years i would be happy.

The terminator aspect excluded  of course

[penang]

I wouldn't qualify something

"Ivy Bridge will be ready for production at the end of the year."
"Intel first detailed 3-D transistors in 2002, and now these chips will hit the market."

Indeed, also, I wouldn't qualify something announced (and at this stage of development) by Intel as "vaporware" right away.

Intel's "Ivy Bridge" chip has yet to have its final tape-out. Meaning? They haven't finished with the verification process.

You see, hardware and software are really similar - they need to be debugged.

Software stays "vaporware" until someone decide that it's relatively free of bugs and then compiled the source code and then package it out.

Hardware stays "vaporware" until someone decide that it's relatively free of bugs and do the final tape out before the mask can be made and so on and so forth before the chip appears on computer board some where.

And for this "Ivy Bridge" it's an anomaly.

You see, Intel has this "Tick-Tock" thing.

They make one new chip (tick) and then they shrink the chip (tock).

The "Ivy Bridge" is supposed to be a shrunk version (22nm) of its older brother, the "Sandy Bridge", (32nm).

Meaning, "Ivy Bridge" is not supposed to have any 3D feature at all.

But apparently Intel decides to add the 3d structures in "Ivy Bridge", meaning that Intel may have some problems shrinking the "Sandy Bridge".

[Tangled-Universe]

Intel is a huge credited company and there's little to no reason to consider their announcements and WIP as "vaporware" in a sense that it might never be released.
I'm sorry but "vaporware" is nerd-talk mostly for guys who generally think "I don't believe it before I've seen it" "because they're fooling us".
Which in a way is healthy, but certainly has its limits to being healthy
It's not that Intel was developing Duke Nukem Forever or something

I will post 2 links here which should be sufficient to convince you, otherwise I'll refer to my first paragraph above, after you can try reading the 2 links again etc. etc.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Bridge_(microarchitecture)#Ivy_Bridge
http://newsroom.intel.com/community/intel_newsroom/blog/2011/05/04/intel-reinvents-transistors-using-new-3-d-structure