Intel Corp (INTC)

[SemiconEng]

{i]But by 2005, some elements of "TeraHertz transistor" for frequency scaling need to be there especially for Tejas per the 11/2001 announcement. So is there really going to be a frequency scaling problem?


*** If intel is going to be using the Lower power chips on the 90nm and 65 nm Processes going forward, then I believe there is still frequency scaling headroom. With the Prescott design, I think only band aid solutions were available for 90nm. Probably why intel junked it.


Let's say there is. Then the problem could from engineering failing to replicate research results, bean counters failing to buy new equipment, or marketing killing something because they cannot think of a way to market it. Intel has always overcome engineering problems. But Intel has also always been run by Ph.D.'s.


*** Most likely a team effort. The development people want to incorporate their stuff, and it will take this long, and cost this much. Well management has to figure how how and where to get the stuff manufactured, and how much is that going to cost, and the marketing guys want the darned thing out the door in the sales window, or nobody is going to care how many bells and whistles it has, or how much it costs, if it's yesturday's news and nobody wants it. Poor Prescott compromise IMO.


Now the best ideas can be shared among and the best result be picked from at least four design teams (California, Oregon, Israel, India, Texas?, Arizona?).


*** Better way to go for sure. India's been coming on strong, along with israel for design, but it appears to me that the Process Developement is still mostly happening in Oregon, seeing how most of the future 300mm 65nm people from Arizona's Fab12 conversion are reportedly being reassigned there. California is becoming too expensive for initial process development IMO. Texas is small potatoes for intel right now AFAIK.


What's more curious is the IA-64 and IA-32 merge plan. My impression has been that Prescott has 64-bit X86 support that can be turned on if necessary. But the real stuff is that Tejas will have IA-64 support. Now Tejas is no more, how/when is a X86 processor going to be able to start executing IA-64 code?


*** That is the Billion Dollar question, isn't it? Wish I knew

:-]