SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Hoping to prove that it will not lose the microprocessor performance race in the future, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. here today claimed that it has broken Intel Corp.'s unofficial record for the world's fastest transistor.
At the 2001 International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in Washington, D.C. this week, AMD will claim it has developed a CMOS-based, 15-nanometer transistor (gate length), said to handle switching speeds of 0.3-ps--or 3.33 trillion switches per second.
It appears that AMD has beaten Intel's short-lived record by a nose. Last month, Intel claimed to have broken its own record for the world's smallest and fastest transistor, announcing a 15-nm device said to handle switching speeds of 0.38-ps--or 2.63 trillion switches per second (see Nov. 15 story ).
Like Intel, AMD claims that its 15-nm transistor is geared for future processors. Devised in its Submicron Development Center, AMD's 0.8-volt transistor is being targeted for its microprocessor lines in the 2009 time frame. By then, AMD claims it will make 30-nm (0.03-micron) chips on 300-mm wafers.
"Our ongoing research allows us to stay on the forefront of transistor design, which translates into increasingly powerful processors," said Craig Sander, vice president of AMD's technology development group.
"The work to develop this transistor is a vital part of AMD's overall transistor development effort," said Sander. "This look-ahead research gives us confidence in our long-term roadmaps and strategies, while providing spin-off technology that feeds our near-term development program."
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