Intel's 65 nm yields already at 90 nm level
 

Intel's efforts in finding even the smallest errors before production ramps appear to be paying off - at least, if we believe the presentations of company executives. Within 20 months, the 65 nm process has reached a maturity level which 180 nm reached in 38 months, 130 nm in 30 months and 90 nm in 26 months.

The capability to detect even the smallest errors early brings up the question why Intel was not aware of the significant leakage current in its 90 nm processors - a circumstance that limited the firm's ability to scale the architecture beyond 3.8 GHz due to enormous levels of power consumption and heat dissipation. According to Kuhn, Intel was very well aware of the leakage issue, but it was considered to be an issue at the time the design was developed. "We knew that the 90 nm chips would create much more heat when we increased performance. But it was not that important then. This has become a problem only in recent times," he said.

Leakage has been decreased in 65 nm processors and will continue to play an important part of processor development down the road. But Kuhn believes that the industry never will solve the problem of current leaking through gate oxides. "It's a quantum mechanical effect. There always will be leakage," he said. "Our goal is to make it less significant."

http://www.tgdaily.com/2005/12/16/in...nm_production/

nice find!

When do they finally start making AMD run forward again?

last months have been stagnant :(