IBM Corp. is expected to announce today that its scientists have developed a technique for printing circuitry on silicon that could make computer chips significantly more powerful while extending the life of current manufacturing technology, potentially saving billions of dollars in plant reconstruction.
Most semiconductor manufacturing today uses a process called optical lithography, in which lasers imprint patterns on silicon wafers, much like silk screening, with features as small as 90 nanometers in width. A nanometer is a billionth of a meter.
As components shrink, more can be crammed onto each chip, enabling smaller devices that are increasingly powerful.
Intel Corp., the world's largest chipmaker, introduced microprocessors on the 65-nanometer node late last year, but the majority of today's computer processors are still made at 90 nanometers.
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