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January 30, 2007 at 11:33 am · Close Watch
Intel, IBM Says Smaller Microchips Possible
Intel Corp. and IBM says smaller microchips could be made using rare metal Hafnium, rather than Silicon, which is found mainly in Australia, Brazil, Sri Lanka & US, a Reuters report said.
A major advance in transistor technology was announced on Friday that will allow microchips to become smaller, more powerful and use less energy, the report said.
Hafnium-based chips may supplant silicon-based technology, which has been the basis for microchips since the 1960s.
Hafnium is a metallic element that occurs as an impurity in zirconium ores and is generally obtained as a by-product of zirconium refining.
It occurs mainly in Australia, Brazil, Sri Lanka, and the United States. Australia produces most of the world’s zircon minerals.
>Intel, IBM says smaller microchips could be made using rare metal Hafnium, rather than Silicon, which found in Australia, Brazil, Sri Lanka & US-Reuters-jnw.lk