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IBM unveils nanotech chip innovation
IBM has introduced a molecular-scale technique that the promises to simplify the chip-making process and result in more powerful microprocessors.
As described by IBM, the self-assembly method is based on the tendency of certain polymer molecules to organize themselves, creating microscopic patterns on silicon that are smaller, denser, more precise and more uniform than those etched on the chips using conventional lithography. In essence, the polymer forms microscopic crystals when the silicon wafer on which they reside is heated.
Among the advantages for fabricators is that this nanotechnology process works with existing semiconductor-manufacturing techniques, eliminating the need to invest in costly etching equipment, said IBM researcher and project participant Chuck Black. Self-assembly is used principally for specific high-resolution steps in a complex electric device, he said.
As proof of the process, IBM researchers used self-assembly to create a silicon nanocrystal design for a version of flash memory, used in a broad array of devices. “With self-assembly, we can fabricate patterns in areas where it’s very difficult to define the dimensions,” said Black.
The self-assembly technique is also compatible with existing chip-making tools, adding to its attraction for applications in future microelectronics technologies by avoiding the high cost of tooling changes, Black said.
As for mass production of self-assembly technology, Black says researchers still are learning how to control the materials. IBM is now creating crystals on the scale of 20 nanometers wide in work done at the company’s silicon lab on 200 mm wafers, he noted. Pilot production is expected in three to five years.
New memory into action
Micron Technology has said that it has begun mass producing DDR2 chips, a new generation of memory for computers.
The semiconductor manufacturer is now assembling DDR2 chips into memory modules, Micron executives said. It has been shipping those modules in sizes up to 4GB to chipmaker Intel and several PC makers, they added.
The DDR2 memory standard is a higher-performance, less-power-hungry successor to double data rate, synchronous dynamic RAM (DDR SDRAM), created by the JEDEC consortium. It can transfer more data per second than DDR, according to Micron, which promises better overall performance for computers with high-speed processors.
By offering DDR2 modules now, Micron feels it’s getting a jump on the market, said Mike Sadler, vice present of worldwide sales for the chipmaker, which is based in Nampa, Idaho.
PC makers, which currently incorporate DDR memory in their products, are expected to begin the transition to DDR2 in the first half of 2004.
Yahoo plugs IM security hole
Yahoo issued an update to its instant-messaging software, in order to address a security flaw found in the application earlier this week.
The company said the security issue was related to a buffer overflow, a common security vulnerability in computer programs written in C and C++ that allows more information to be added to a chunk of memory than it was designed to hold.
The company said it immediately began working to validate the flaw and address the issue. Yahoo recommends updating its IM software on a regular basis to ensure customers are protected against similar flaws.
Sun’s Linux sent to desktop
Sun Microsystems has just rolled out its first Linux-based desktop software and is working to secure deals with governments and businesses to deploy it, but the company isn’t targeting Microsoft, a Sun executive said last week.
The version of JDS that launched this week is a preview version, Ulander said, and is being offered at $50 per user to attract early adopters. The next version, due out early next year, will be priced at $100 per user. — Dawn ScienceDotcom Report
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