The press release put SOI front and center, saying, “The technology vastly improves microprocessor performance in multi-core designs and speeds the movement of graphics in gaming, networking, and other image intensive, multi-media applications.” IBM’s 32nm SOI technology was jointly developed with GF and other members of IBM’s Process Development Alliance
The companies' 32/28nm technology uses the same "Gate First" approach to High-k Metal Gate (HKMG) that has reached volume production in GLOBALFOUNDRIES' Fab 1 in Dresden, Germany. This approach to HKMG offers higher performance with a 10-20% cost saving over HKMG solutions offered by other foundries, while still providing the full entitlement of scaling from the 45/40nm node.
The release also notes that the chips rolling off this new line feature IBM’s embedded DRAM (eDRAM). ASN readers will remember that IBM’s eDRAM guru Subu Iyer, wrote in ASN about the role that SOI plays therein back in 2006. He noted that while eDRAMs had previously been done in bulk silicon, “The complexity adder is about half in SOI compared to bulk for deep trench based eDRAMs.”
Interesting, too, that the announcement cites networking, gaming and graphics. IBM, of course, has its own successful SOI foundry business, and owns the high-end gaming market, fabbing SOI-based chips for the big three: Sony PS3, Microsoft Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii (and the upcoming Wii U).
For its part, GF has all the AMD SOI-based business, including all the Opterons, the FX and the “A-series” APUs – including the upcoming “Trinity” for desktops & high-end laptops, with the new Bulldozer core.