Tri-gate transistors
Poster: Aron Schatz
Posted on June 11, 2003 at 5:01:50 PM
Intel is upping the time table for new types of transistors that will help to follow Moore's Law into the future. Moore's law says that transistor counts on CPUs will double every 2.5 years.
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Unfortunately, small transistors leak electricity, something that leads to poor battery life and excess internal heat. Tri-Gate transistors ameliorate that situation by increasing the surface area of the gate, which controls the flow of electricity. Traditional gates are flat, and electricity flows like a stream directly beneath it. Tri-Gates are shaped like a tunnel and electricity flows on the internal surface of the arch. More surface area leads to a more stable flow of electricity, which in turn can lead to greater performance, less leakage or both.