IBM Combines Electrics, Optics On Same Chip
IBM unveiled a decade-long research project that resulted in a new chip that combines electrical and optical circuits in the same package.
IBM says the technology will enable smaller, faster and more efficient processors on the path to exascale computing.
The new technology, called CMOS integrated silicon nanophotonics, was developed by IBM's Research Labs and have already achieved a 10x denser integration structure than today's chips, according to IBM. The company said that a single transceiver channel with all accompanying optical and electrical circuitry occupies about 0.5 mm2. The technology would allow single-chip transceivers with area sizes as small as 4x4 mm2, which, however, are cable of transmitting more than 1 Tb/s of data.
“Our CMOS Integrated Nanophotonics breakthrough promises unprecedented increases in silicon chip function and performance via ubiquitous low-power optical communications between racks, modules, chips or even within a single chip itself,” said Yurii Vlasov, Manager of the Silicon Nanophotonics Department at IBM Research. “The next step in this advancement is to establishing manufacturability of this process in a commercial foundry using IBM deeply scaled CMOS processes.”
The company claims that the chips can be produced on a standard CMOS processing line without the need for special tooling. There was no information if and when the technology will be put into production.
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sweet
0.o *twitch* can't wait for an estimated arival date for implementation
more moore's law?
Wonder if it's coming in a x86 flavour...
Wonder if it's coming in a x86 flavour...
screw x86! just give me the 64-bit chip and let me try to max this puppy out..note, i say try.
Proves once again, Intel and AMD aren't the leaders of the industry, IMO.
IBM is still the largest IT business out there
Hah, all this time my old man was right saying CPU's would eventually move to optical connects. I didn't see how it would be possible. This could be a game changer, now we just need to overcome the shrinking process and silicon issue and we should be set for the future.
Proves once again, Intel and AMD aren't the leaders of the industry, IMO.IBM is still the largest IT business out there
IBM is more in Service Delivery and Mainframes, AMD / Intel is in consumer chips. 2 different fields.
Why IBM never dies? They are the leading edge of technology and innovation.
This article kinda proves to me that IBM is like the godfather of Intel/AMD/Microsoft. But i hope there are other companies out there that are as technologically advanced as IBM.
"10x denser integration structure than today's chips"
scares me!
I can assure you, that I'm completely incapable of harming a human, or through inaction cause a human to be harmed.
I am however flexible on the terms "human" and "harm".
The way I read the announcement is, they don't have a clue how to mass produce this, and when the firist "product" appears, in 5-10 years nobody will be able to afford it anyway.
optical buses within chips, thats cool!!!
getting info from one side of the chip to the other is quite challenging with electrons and copper.
oooo or a 5,000,000 X PCI-E slot .... droool
Slowly but surely getting there.
screw x86! just give me the 64-bit chip
Do you even know what x86 is?
Do you even know what x86 is?
32-bit chip? if were talking about the same thing here, jackass.
I.B.M. should buy out AMD and keep it as a subsidiary then Intel would really be scared and wet their panties.
32-bit chip? if were talking about the same thing here, jackass.
x86 is actually the instruction set architecture that virtually all modern AMD/Intel consumer level microprocessors are based on. x86 has nothing to do with the distinction between 32 abd 64-bit chips. What you believe to be 64-bit chips are actually still part of the x86 family of processors. x64 is just a shorthand for x86-64, the 64-bit extension of the x86 instruction set.
Next time you decide to call someone a jackass, you should do your homework first. Especially when said person never insulted you first and called you names. It only makes you look like what you called him.
To add to your x86 comment in response to Mr. Jackass. x86 actually started as a 16 bit instruction set as an extension to the intel 8 bit 8086 chip in 1978. chickenhoagie dont be a douche when you don't have a clue.
IBM = Skynet! Watch Out.
@ sillysmy
I agree ...those comments really made chickenhoagie look like a well......
especially since he didnt know what he was even talking about..
it would really be fun if IBM bought out AMD. imagine....apple goes back to using IBM (amd) chips..... field day for amd fanboys.....wishful thinking.
Hah, all this time my old man was right saying CPU's would eventually move to optical connects. I didn't see how it would be possible. This could be a game changer, now we just need to overcome the shrinking process and silicon issue and we should be set for the future.
in that case your old man is a very intelligent man...hats off to him.... i think u owe him a beer
denser means much smaller chip, I think next year either sandy bridge or bulldoser will not be called the latest.
But can it play crsis?
x86 is actually the instruction set architecture that virtually all modern AMD/Intel consumer level microprocessors are based on. x86 has nothing to do with the distinction between 32 abd 64-bit chips. What you believe to be 64-bit chips are actually still part of the x86 family of processors. x64 is just a shorthand for x86-64, the 64-bit extension of the x86 instruction set.Next time you decide to call someone a jackass, you should do your homework first. Especially when said person never insulted you first and called you names. It only makes you look like what you called him.
sorry..perhaps if he explained it the way you did, rather than blatantly asking me if i knew what i was talking about then I wouldn't respond the way I did. I don't take kindly to flaming nerds who think their knowledge of computers make them superior to people who are still learning..
its been talked about for years, and using optics in a computer is finally here. Its an exciting time for computers!
Its nice IBM does all this, but this is just another "In 20 years, we will have..." notice, like Rice university and their graphene that can hit 20 GHz to 1 THz. Also, once again, fantastic looking stuff, but IBM making all these nice toys and doing not much with them is stupid. They could dominate practically any market they wanted to go into, especially CPU's.
yay for photonics
I think the idea of photonics or whatever, given there is a possible huge reduction of normal connection means, and some of the points and uses of them at times might be more useful of those without to many issues, given there will probably always be bottlenecks and etc of some sorts. But at least getting more processing before it. But on some parts still requires normal means of processing and communication.
If anything all such issues wont be one, and be a way of pave to find and fill the crave to more processing power. Cheaper, safer, planet/earth friendly, efficent. Cheaper might be awhile off of course. Still. Awesome board.
Great news to hear!! This will make it much easier for the Government to implement that chip in our forehead...or hand. Did someone say, "1984"?
can i get a beta copy for testing....?