IBM and Samsung have announced a breakthrough in semiconductor design that could lead to faster performance and better battery life for devices. Essentially, the new idea is to stack the transistors vertically so more can be packed in a given space.
Known as Vertical Transport Field Effect Transistors (VTFET), the new design has transistors rotated so they are perpendicular to the silicon wafer and that the current flows vertically. It deviates from current semiconductor chip designs that are built to lie flat on the surface.
The companies estimate that the new chip design can provide double the performance or up to 85 percent improved power efficiency versus the older fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) design. However, it’s worth noting that VTFET can only do one or the other, not both.
The two companies have yet to announce when VTFET will be utilized for commercial products.
Via: The Verge