Intel to begin mass manufacturing 3D transistors

Three-dimensional transistors will soon be available for use in electronic devices, as Intel prepares to mass manufacture its 3D Tri-Gate transistors.

Intel will introduce Tri-Gate, first disclosed in 2002, into high-volume manufacturing at the 22-nanometre (nm) node in an Intel chip codenamed ‘Ivy Bridge’.

According to Intel, the new transistors represent a fundamental departure from the two-dimensional planar transistor structure that has powered electronic devices for decades.

The company says the development will help sustain the pace of Moore’s law.

“Amazing, world-shaping devices will be created from this capability as we advance Moore’s law into new realms,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini.

With electronic devices becoming increasingly smaller, physical laws become barriers to advancement, and some scientists have claimed that a move to the third dimension is necessary if Moore's law is to be upheld.

Intel says the 3D transistors enable chips to operate at lower voltage with lower leakage, providing improved performance and energy efficiency compared to previous generations of transistors.

“This milestone is going further than simply keeping up with Moore’s Law. The low-voltage and low-power benefits far exceed what we typically see from one process generation to the next. It will give product designers the flexibility to make current devices smarter and wholly new ones possible,” said Mark Bohr, Intel Senior Fellow.