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Article

Title: IBM Makes Chip-Speed Advance

Author: Bulkeley, William M Article Type: Product Analysis
Source: Wall Street Journal, v250 n133 pB3(1) Publication Date: Dec 6, 2007
  ISSN: 0193-2241
URL of Publication: http://www.wsj.com

By using optical signals on a chip rather than electronic ones, the speed of computer processors could be significantly increased, according to a paper in 'Optics Express' written by scientists at the International Business Machines (IBM) Corp.'s T.J. Watson Research Center. The advance could lead to tiny, energy-efficient chips that process far more information than today's chips process, without overheating, which is a major challenge in semiconductor design. The development is an important step in the emerging field of silicon nanophotonics. IBM's technology would lead to chips that mix traditional electronics with optics. Wire-like structures on the chip on which photons flow would carry information among traditional processors on various parts of the chips. Multicore chips have become standard design for high-speed microprocessors, and as designers put more and more cores on a single chip, communication among them is taking increasing amounts of energy. The optical technology will permit such communication with less energy. Other companies are also working on silicon nanophotonics, such as Intel Corp., and several companies are working on using photonics to connect racks of computers in data centers or circuit boards within computers to increase speed and reduce energy use.

Companies:
IBM Corp Intel Corp

Products:
Multi-Core Processors Nanophotonics

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