STMicroelectronics and Bull have teamed up to introduce what they claim is one of the world’s most complicated integrated circuits. The chip is a one-off, custom design intended for Bull’s high-end mainframes. The chip has been spun out of the ongoing research that the companies have been involved in as part of the Deep Submicron CMOS Process with Advanced Computer Application project, which comes under the wing of the Microelectronics Developments for European Applications (MDEA) program. The device comprises 7 million transistors on a single slice of silicon, manufactured using a 0.25 micron CMOS process. Alain Mesnager, Bull’s product market manager for GECOS8 mainframes said that a single of the new chips offered 60 to 80 MIPs, scalable up to 8 CPUs. Mainframes using the new chips are shipping now, the chips are being produced at ST’s plant in Crolles, France.
