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Solid_Snake4RD on 21 May 2010
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joeorc said:

psst.

Having already shrunk its powerful Cell processor used in the PS3 to a 45nm production process, IBM is planning to quickly transition to 22nm.

their plan is to skip the 32nm scale!

At 22nm, the existing techniques for microprocessor manufacturing useful at the 45nm and 32nm nodes will become obsolete.  While currently lithography techniques cannot produce 22nm circuitry, IBM has developed a new approach called Computational Scaling, which will allow for this tiny-scale production.  The new technique uses advanced mathematical computation to adjust the shape of the masks and illuminating source during etching.

One key advantage of IBM's breakthrough is that it can advance from 32nm to 22nm without fundamental changes to its equipment.  While Intel and AMD are likely to devise similar techniques, the early breakthrough may allow IBM to seize a lead in shrinking, helping it to continue Moore's Law.

the plan to skip 32nm was because when earlier they were reducing CELL to 32nm and skiping 45nm for the PS3,it was taking too much time so they and SONY decided to stop the 32nm reseach and went back to 45nm.

 

don't know whether they have altogether skipped 32nm.Now that they have 45nm,it would be easier to go to 32nm.

 

it could also be that they would stright go to 22nm for fall 2011 but they could also do that by taking out 32nm this fall and then 22nm next fall.it would take money for reseach of both of them but it will also save money for PS3 or they could dave the 32nm research costs and go straight to 22nm but will not get the cost saving they can make this fall.