IBM in push to shrink chips by 50 per cent

With efficient power management turning out to be a major challenge for those working in the semiconductor ecospace, chip design scientists at IBM are now gearing up to push for the use of high-K metal gate technology in the next generation 32 nanometer (nm) computer chips.

The new technology, which was introduced last year by the global computer technology company in tandem with its research partners, is said to shrink the size of a chip by upto 50 per cent and reduces the total chip power consumption by as much as 45 per cent as compared to the previous 45nm technology circuits.

This, in the common man's language, would mean longer battery life in the case of mobile phones and higher performance with regard to personal computers and consumer electronics.

"The High-K/metal gate technology will be the game changer for the semiconductor industry," said David Harame, director (semiconductor — research and development), IBM Microelectronics division, while delivering a lecture on ‘Present and future trends in semiconductor and EDA technologies — 32 nm and beyond', organised by the Indian Semiconductor Association (ISA) here on Friday.

The new technology also addresses the challenge posed by leakage power, a critical issue in the transition towards 32nm chips. By 2009-end, 32nm chips will be available. For industry-use, Harame said and added: "The design kits have already been released and our alliance partners have expressed readiness to start manufacturing."

Joining him, John Cohn, chief scientist of design automation at IBM, said the company's application specific integrate circuit (ASIC) design offerings were based on a multi-threshold tiny model which ensures a significant improvement in path performance with a low percentage of low voltage cells; a modest increase in standby power through proper optimisation; and leakage power reduction through insertion of high threshold voltage (HVT) cells.

He said the company was thinking of bringing both its historical strengths — microprocessor technology and ASIC technology — on a common platform. IBM's Power6 processor, the 4.7 gigahertz highest frequency microprocessor in the industry, was in the production stage.