Getting a look at Intel’s new 45nm fab

Here’s Intel’s Senior Fellow, Mark Bohr, showing me around the new Intel 45 nm fab up near Portland, Oregon.

Some parts of this are boring (he takes me into the part of the fab where workers put on their “bunny suits”) but others are real interesting, including a discussion of the technology behind how they shrunk transistors to 45nm.

[podtech content=http://media.podtech.net/media/2007/01/PID_010055/Podtech_Intel_45NM_part1.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/scobleshow/technology/1329/intel-says-goodbye-to-silicon-dioxide-in-new-45-nanometer-fab&totalTime=2421000&breadcrumb=3F34K2L1]

And here’s Kelin Kuhn, who is the 45 nanometer device group manager. She runs the test lab where they figure out how to improve yields. That’s very important to Intel’s business. A little-known fact is that not every processor on a wafer is useable. The higher the percentage of usable processors, the more profitable Intel will be. It’s Kelin’s job to increase that yield. She’s a real impressive person and hope you enjoy meeting her as much as I did.

[podtech content=http://media.podtech.net/media/2007/01/PID_010056/Podtech_Intel_45NMlab_part2.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/scobleshow/technology/1330/testing-out-intels-new-45-nanometer-processors&totalTime=444000&breadcrumb=3F34K2L1]

Of course, what does this all mean? By the end of 2007 companies like Apple and Dell will be able to bring out computers that are faster, use less power, and are cheaper to produce.

Congrats to the Intel team for getting 45nm done. It’s an impressive technical achievement and one that most of us don’t really appreciate when turning on our machines.

Here’s John Markoff’s article about the new Intel announcements in the New York Times.

UPDATE: PodTech produced a more professional video about these announcements.

  • kota

    Great videos Robert.
    As an engineering student, I also enjoyed very much your questions. Thanks for posting such a brilliant stuff.
    Cheers! kota.

  • kota

    Great videos Robert.
    As an engineering student, I also enjoyed very much your questions. Thanks for posting such a brilliant stuff.
    Cheers! kota.

  • http://www.daivddalka.com/createvalue David Dalka

    The videos aren’t showing up for me – IE7 Windows PC

  • http://www.daivddalka.com/createvalue David Dalka

    The videos aren’t showing up for me – IE7 Windows PC

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    David: weird. Can you watch them over on PodTech’s site? They work on IE 7 here.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    David: weird. Can you watch them over on PodTech’s site? They work on IE 7 here.

  • http://www.onebyonemedia.com Jim “Genuine” Turner

    My brain is going to explode!

  • http://www.onebyonemedia.com/wordpress Jim Turner

    My brain is going to explode!

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  • Brendan

    @ Robert Scoble,

    This technology sounds great and all, but in reality;

    1. How much faster will the equivalent to a current 2Ghz Core 2 Duo computer be though? 3X, 5X ?? (roughly)

    2. What % better battery life should be expect from our lappies?

    3. What % decrease in temperture should we expect from of our lappies?

    Thanks in advance, Brendan.

  • Brendan

    @ Robert Scoble,

    This technology sounds great and all, but in reality;

    1. How much faster will the equivalent to a current 2Ghz Core 2 Duo computer be though? 3X, 5X ?? (roughly)

    2. What % better battery life should be expect from our lappies?

    3. What % decrease in temperture should we expect from of our lappies?

    Thanks in advance, Brendan.

  • Zian

    The link in your update doesn’t go anywhere.

  • Zian

    The link in your update doesn’t go anywhere.

  • Pingback: New Technology from Intel 45 Nanometer - Moore’s Law is Back! « John Furrier

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Sorry about the bad link. Fixed.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Sorry about the bad link. Fixed.

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