AMD claims transistor breakthrough

Chip maker AMD claims to have become the first in the semiconductor industry to achieve critical research milestones for next-generation transistor development.

In lab work to be fully unveiled in June, AMD researchers say they have created and demonstrated a high-performance transistor which is up to 30 per cent faster than the best available today.

The company's Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator technology is expected to play a crucial role in semiconductor manufacturing in the second half of this decade.

In related research, AMD has also demonstrated a strained silicon transistor achieving 20-25 per cent higher performance than conventional strained silicon devices through the successful use of metal gates.

AMD described the achievements as key milestones in its technology roadmap for future processors.

"Transistors that operate with higher performance, less current leakage and lower voltage requirements are providing AMD design teams with the building blocks they need to create the solutions customers want," said Craig Sander, vice president of process technology development at AMD.