Well, it turns out that my Computer Applications class is good for something. I had to look at articles on CNN tech and this is what I found: Intel, IBM unveil new chip technology I don't know if any of you have heard about this but it talks about using hafnium instead of silicon in transistors. This would allow for smaller sizes, allowing an estimated 22 nm process, along with better power efficiency and a 20% speed boost. It looks like we might get a little more life out of semiconductors after all. I was pretty convinced that they were coming to the end of their lifespan, but they estimate this can give us 2 more technology generations (although I'm not sure what that means, they reference Moore's Law so maybe 4 years). Hmmmm, they also talk about Intel getting a leg up on AMD's chips. I was under the distinct impression that the Core 2 Duo gave them a pretty beastly leg but maybe not.
Ahh, I see now. I read that thread before making this one but I didn't see a mention of hafnium. Looking at the Anandtech article I see they talk about it. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. Will we continue to find more minor improvements on the transistor design or will we hit a wall after this? The future is interesting but I doubt it will include transistors much longer.
