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Management Information Systems

Notes By using nanotechnology, Intel believes it can shrink the size of transistors down to the width of
several atoms. IBM and other research labs have created transistors from nanotubes and other
electrical devices (IBM, 2004) and have developed a manufacturing process that could produce
nanotube processors economically (Figure 5.5). Other new technologies include strained silicon,
300-millimeter production wafers (which decrease the costs of production), and denser
interconnections among components.
Whereas the first Pentium microprocessors operated at 75 megahertz, today’s Pentiums are
available with 3-gigahertz speeds. However, increasing processor speeds at the same exponential
rate as in the past may no longer be possible.

Figure 5.5: Examples of Nanotubes

!
Caution As processor speeds increase, heat is generated that cannot be dissipated with air
fans.
Another brake on future increases in microprocessor speed is more market-oriented:
Most consumers may not need vast increases in microprocessor speed but instead are more
interested in low power consumption for longer battery life and low weight to increase laptop
and handheld computer portability. For this reason, Intel and other firms are designing the next
generation of chips to be less power hungry and lower in weight even if they are the same or
even slower speeds. Other options include putting multiple processors on a single chip.

Did u know? What is nanotechnology?
Nanotechnology uses individual atoms and molecules to create computer chips and other
devices that are thousands of times smaller than current technologies permit.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:
5. ............................... describes a long-term trend in the history of computing hardware, in
which the number of transistors that can be placed inexpensively on an integrated circuit
has doubled approximately every two years.

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