The 500 GHz Processor

On June 20, 2006, IBM and Georgia Tech announced that they have successfully tested their latest semiconductor's clock speed at a staggering 500 Gigahertz (1 GHz = 1 Billion Cycles per second). Compare this clock speed to the typical personal computers on sale today, which top out at around 4 Gigahertz (these numbers don't measure the exact same thing, but give a relatively accurate comparison). This new chip speed record was reached using Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) transistors cooled to nearly absolute zero (approximately -451 degrees F or -268 degrees C) with liquid helium. However, the chip can still operate at a clock speed of approximately 350 Gigahertz at room temperature.

The introduction of germanium into silicon wafers yields substantial performance benefits while maintaining the many advantages of silicon. IBM has been experimenting with SiGe technology for over 15 years and has been producing high-volume SiGe chips for various industries since 1998. This new chip represents a significant leap forward not only because of the chip's high clock speed and low power consumption, but because the chip is compatible with existing standard high-volume silicon-based manufacturing techniques. This new technology is believed to lend itself to continued improvement and in the future is expected to support room temperature operational speeds in the Terahertz range (1 THz = 1 TRILLION cycles per second)!