San Francisco, Nov 06: Intel said on Wednesday that it has found a breakthrough to insulate transistors that could solve one of the semiconductor industry’s most fundamental problems: how to make computer chips ever-smaller while preventing them from losing power and throwing off heat. As semiconductor manufacturers design microprocessors, packed more densely with transistors, those components, which are the fundamental building blocks of computer chips, are also prone to leak electrical current, much like a dripping faucet. That means that more powerful chips also drain power, cutting into battery life and throwing off heat, making laptops hot and forcing companies to set up expensive cooling systems for server computers.
To solve the problem, Intel said it has come up with a new insulating material for transistors to replace the silicon dioxide that has been used as the industry standard for about 30 years. Bureau Report