IBM Puts Fast Chips on a New Footing
Robert F. Service · Science · 1998
IBM announced last week that it will soon begin producing microprocessor chips embodying a technology that it says could boost operating speeds by as much as 35%. The new chips are also expected to use about a third less electricity than today's microprocessors, extending battery life for portable devices such as cellular phones and handheld computers. Competitors say IBM is betting on the wrong horse. But if the gamble pays off, the new chips could help extend Moore's law, the famous trend of performance improvements that has driven advances in microelectronics for decades but is expected to begin flattening out soon.