Intel sketches out nanotechnology road map.

[DAPUNISHER]

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In 2007, for instance, Intel will start to produce chips using the 45-nanometer process. These chips will differ from existing chips in part because the transistor gate will be made of metal rather than silicon, while the "gate oxide"--an insulating layer that controls the flow of electrons inside the transistor--will be made out of something other than silicon dioxide, which has been the material of choice for decades.

 

[pm]

I have a feeling that most everyone will be moving to a non-silicon based gate 'oxide' material. Gates will be too thin and gate leakage would otherwise be ~10000% higher than it currently is in most 90nm process technologies - and it's already very high. A higher dielectric material is pretty much a necessity and I can't see that anyone in the industry will be able to avoid changing materials. The real questions are what material will be used, and what electrical effect the material will have on the operation of the gate.

I have to wonder how much silicon will be left in "silicon" chips in the future. 🙂

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

so what happens to silicon valley?

i've read a lot about diamond substrates because diamond can be doped very similarly to silicon, and it has the best thermal conductivity of any material. a few times that of copper, which is pretty good compared to aluminum etc.