INTEL VOEGT COMMUNICATIEMOGELIJKHEDEN TOE AAN 90 NANOMETER- PRODUCTIEPROCES

Het nieuwe productieproces combineert het 90 nanometerproductieproces met zogenoemde mixed-signal technologie waardoor analoge en digitale functies op één chip gecombineerd kunnen worden. Intel zal sommige kritische analoge componenten direct integreren in het silicium en de implementatie van enkele functies wijzigen. Daardoor kunnen communicatiechips profiteren van de Wet van Moore die stelt dat het aantal transistoren op een chip elke twee jaar verdubbelt.

Het toevoegen van silicium-germanium betekent een sterke toename van de snelheid van transistoren. Tegelijkertijd neemt de ruis in hogesnelheid communicatieapparatuur sterk af.

Bijgevoegd het volledige Engelse persbericht.

Intel
Intel is 's werelds grootste chipfabrikant en een vooraanstaande producent van computer-, netwerk- en communicatieproducten. Meer informatie over Intel is te vinden op: http://www.intel.com/pressroom/.

Voor verdere informatie:
Intel Corporation 
Kristof Sehmke 
Tel. +32 (0)3 450 0913 
E-mail: Kristof.Sehmke@intel.com 

Lammers van Toorenburg Benelux PR
Caroline de Zoeten
Tel. +31 (0)30 656 5070
E-mail: caroline@lvtpr.nl

Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation and its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

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INTEL TO ADD COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES
TO INDUSTRY'S MOST ADVANCED CHIP-MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Silicon-Germanium Transistors Lead Enhancements
That Promise New Wave of Communications Chips

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 16, 2002 - Intel Corporation today announced plans to add communications capabilities to its industry-leading 90-nanometer (nm) manufacturing process. These capabilities include the use of high-speed silicon-germanium transistors and "mixed-signal" circuitry, aimed at bringing about a new wave of faster, more integrated, less-costly communications chips. Such chips could lead to single-chip, hand-held devices that offer cell-phone, wireless-data-network and the evolving "personal-area-network" services, as well as smaller, lower-cost network-infrastructure equipment.

 "This integration of computing and communications technologies will enable us to create microchips that are twice as fast, contain 2.5 times more transistors and are substantially less expensive than anything that exists today," said Sean Maloney, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Intel Communications Group. "The combination of mixed-signal, silicon germanium and our most advanced CMOS manufacturing process will bring the benefits of Moore's Law to communications silicon and help keep Intel at least a generation ahead of the competition."

The new manufacturing process combines Intel's 90-nm logic process with advancements in "mixed-signal" technology that enables analog and digital functions, which previously resided on multiple chips, to be combined on a single chip. Using this technology, Intel will integrate some critical analog components directly onto silicon and change how some functions are implemented so they can be integrated into the logic portion of the chip. By changing the implementation method of analog functions on digital CMOS transistors, communications chips will benefit from Moore's Law in performance, power, integration and cost. Moore's Law, named for Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, states that the number of transistors on a chip doubles approximately every two years.

New Silicon-Germanium Transistors
The addition of silicon germanium significantly increases the speed and reduces the noise of transistors for high-speed communications equipment, such as optical switches and wireless base stations. These transistors possess the necessary speed for systems, such as optical components, that process data at 50 gigabits per second and higher. Silicon-germanium and CMOS transistor circuitry on Intel's 90-nm process could cut the number of chips and processes used to create an optical subsystem in half, or enable connection of wireless components directly to antennae without intervening circuitry that consumes space and power.

More Advancements
Intel's 90-nm communications manufacturing process shares the basic foundation of the company's 90-nm logic process, including high-performance, low-power digital CMOS transistors using strained silicon technology, seven copper interconnect layers with a new low-k dielectric and one-square-micron SRAM memory cells. In addition to silicon-germanium heterojunction bipolar transistors, new features of the 90-nm process for communications include high-voltage RF analog CMOS transistors, precision capacitors and resistors for analog circuits, and high-Q inductors and varactors. Intel will manufacture all of its 90-nm communications chips on 300-millimeter wafers, enabling high-volume production and a substantial reduction in manufacturing costs. The first communications chips based on the new 90-nm process are scheduled for introduction next year.

Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about Intel is available at http://www.intel.com/pressroom.

Intel is a trademark or registered trademark of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries in the United States and other countries.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.