The prototype transistor uses indium antimonide to conduct electrical current. Significant power and heat reduction at the transistor level could add substantial battery life for mobile devices and may lead to smaller more powerful products, Intel said.
By providing 50% more performance while reducing power consumption by roughly 10 times, this new material will give us considerable flexibility because we will have ability to optimize for both performance and power of future platforms, said Ken David, director of components research for Intel’s Technology and Manufacturing Group, in a statement.
Intel said it expects to use the new material as a silicon complement.
The chipmaker previously announced transistors with indium antimonide channels, but its latest prototypes are less than half the size of earlier models, with a gate length of 85 nanometers.
The new transistors can operate at about 0.5 volts, or roughly half of that for transistors in current chips.
Content from our partners
