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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Intel delays chip making changes | Intel delays chip making changes |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| Intel has delayed changes to its factories that would have made its chips faster and more powerful. | Intel has delayed changes to its factories that would have made its chips faster and more powerful. |
| It said it had hit problems upgrading its fabrication systems so they could manufacture components that were only 10nm (nanometres) in size. | It said it had hit problems upgrading its fabrication systems so they could manufacture components that were only 10nm (nanometres) in size. |
| Instead, Intel said, it would seek to boost processor performance by different means. | Instead, Intel said, it would seek to boost processor performance by different means. |
| The news comes days after IBM said it had solved problems that would have stopped it using smaller components. | The news comes days after IBM said it had solved problems that would have stopped it using smaller components. |
| Stop the clock | Stop the clock |
| The delay was revealed by Intel boss Brian Krzanich during a conference call with the press and financial analysts. | The delay was revealed by Intel boss Brian Krzanich during a conference call with the press and financial analysts. |
| "The lithography is continuing to get more difficult as you try and scale, and the number of multi-pattern steps you have to do is increasing," he said. | "The lithography is continuing to get more difficult as you try and scale, and the number of multi-pattern steps you have to do is increasing," he said. |
| On the current generation of chips emerging from Intel factories, the smallest parts are about 14 nm in size. | On the current generation of chips emerging from Intel factories, the smallest parts are about 14 nm in size. |
| Originally, Intel said these would be phased out in favour of the 10nm chips in the second half of 2016. Now, it said, 10nm chips may not appear before 2017 - a delay of about 6-9 months. | |
| The delay will derail the two-step "tick tock" system it has been using for years to steadily improve processor power. | The delay will derail the two-step "tick tock" system it has been using for years to steadily improve processor power. |
| This process alternates changes to the gross layout of a chip (tock) with refinements to fabrication of individual components (tick). | This process alternates changes to the gross layout of a chip (tock) with refinements to fabrication of individual components (tick). |
| Mr Krzanich did not elaborate on what would drive the improved number-crunching power of the 14nm chips it will be producing instead of the processors built around 10nm components. | Mr Krzanich did not elaborate on what would drive the improved number-crunching power of the 14nm chips it will be producing instead of the processors built around 10nm components. |
| Intel's admission could be a signal that Moore's law - which defines the steady year-on-year improvement in processor power - could be coming to an end. | Intel's admission could be a signal that Moore's law - which defines the steady year-on-year improvement in processor power - could be coming to an end. |
| When first formulated by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore 50 years ago, this suggested that chip power could double every 12 months. | When first formulated by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore 50 years ago, this suggested that chip power could double every 12 months. |
| Often, this improvement comes about by shrinking the millions of transistors on a chip. | Often, this improvement comes about by shrinking the millions of transistors on a chip. |
| Since then, the law's estimate of how long it would take to refine production systems to make it economic to produce faster chips has stretched. | Since then, the law's estimate of how long it would take to refine production systems to make it economic to produce faster chips has stretched. |
| Now, improvements are expected approximately every 24 months. | Now, improvements are expected approximately every 24 months. |
| Last week, IBM announced that it had found ways to reliably produce chips that had 7nm components. | Last week, IBM announced that it had found ways to reliably produce chips that had 7nm components. |
| However, it said, these techniques had so far only been shown to work in the laboratory and not in large-scale chip fabrication plants. | However, it said, these techniques had so far only been shown to work in the laboratory and not in large-scale chip fabrication plants. |