Old Chip Tech Establishes Its Green Credentials

Greentech Media (Jul 22 2009)

1. Think of silicon on insulator (SOI) as adult diapers for semiconductors. The techology – a layer of material inserted into chips – wraps around transistors to prevent power from leaking out. The smaller transistors become, the bigger issue leakage becomes. The technology debuted in the '90s – and was heavily promoted by IBM – as a way to improve performance, boost chip speed and reduce the waste heat that can cause computers to malfunction or even melt. Now, the SOI Consortium wants data center owners and others to understand how SOI-enabled chips can reduce power. "The transistor is essentially isolated on all three dimensions," said Horacio Mendez, executive director of the SOI Consortium. "IBM went for high performance when frequency and speed were everything." (Read Full Article)

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