Intel：处理器功耗有望降低90%！

新材料与P沟道和N沟道晶体管的混合将有望使Intel公司制造出仅有目前芯片功耗10%的处理器。

Intel最近透露了一种P沟道晶体管进展的细节，这种晶体管制作于硅基片上，采用混合半导体材料，也称作III-V材料，因为它由元素周期表上第三列和第五列的元素组成，而硅位于第四列。该研究的成果造就了迄今为止性能最优的P沟道晶体管。

具Intel透露，这两种结果结合在一起可以形成CMOS逻辑电路的基础。CMOS逻辑电路同时采用N沟道和P沟道。这种技术有潜力用于制造将来的微处理 器，其工作温度会低很多。Intel这个全球最大的芯片厂商声称，新晶体管的工作电压可降低50%，其功耗只有当今晶体管的10%。

如果这种技术以后能够实现批量生产，那将产生两种后果：一个事处理器尺寸非常小就能实现目前处理器的性能，或者同样尺寸的处理器会非常复杂，功能会强大得多。显然，该技术不仅会显著降低微处理器的功耗，还会惠及图形处理等高集成设备。

Intel目前正在继续研究这项技术，据称尚需数年方可实现。

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原文：

The mix of new materials as well as P-channel and N-channel transistors can potentially enable Intel Corp. to build microprocessors that consume just 10% of today’s chips in future.

Intel recently disclosed advancement details on a P-channel transistor, built on a silicon substrate, that makes use of compound semiconductors, also known as III-V materials because they are made of elements that straddle silicon in the periodic table, silicon being in column IV. This research resulted in the highest performing P-channel transistors reported to date.  A year earlier, Intel described III-V N-channel transistors, also built on a silicon substrate.

According to Intel, when combined, these two results could form. the building blocks for CMOS logic circuits, which use both N-channel and P-channel transistors. Potentially suitable for future microprocessors, they run far cooler: the world’s largest chipmaker claims that t about 50% the voltage, consuming only 10% the power of today's transistors.

Potentially, if the innovation proves to be viable for mass production of microprocessors, this enables either very small and power efficient chips which are powerful by today’s standards or chips that are dramatically more complex compared to contemporary, but consume the same amount of power. Obviously, the new materials can also enable dramatic improvements in energy efficiency not only for microprocessors, but also for graphics processors, core-logic sets and other highly-integrated devices.

Currently Intel is already researching the aforementioned materials and it will take years before the innovation could materialize.