IBM mimics snowflakes for chip manufacture

The process, which is found in the creation of seashells and snowflakes, allows the formation of nano holes and IBM is using these holes to create vacuums around copper interconnects on chips. According to IBM, the technique speeds electrical signals by 35% or allows power consumption to drop by 15% compared to the latest devices made on conventional processes. Until now, designers have fought parasitic capacitance issues by using more power and better insulators, but as chip features get smaller, these solutions become less effective. “This is the first time anyone has proven the ability to synthesize mass quantities of these self-assembled polymers and integrate them into an existing manufacturing process with great yield results,” said Dan Edelstein, IBM Fellow and the project’s chief scientist. “We are able to make chips that are smaller, faster and consume less power than existing materials and design architectures allow.” The approach has already been integrated into IBM’s East Fishkill manufacturing process and is expected to be used in chips in 2009