IBM to license nano parts to AMD, Toshiba

Rather than use silicon to insulate different parts of chips, IBM said it has devised a method using vacuums to prevent leakage.

The method is self-assembling, and uses a proprietary technique which create a polymer matrix. Semiconductors using this techique will be 20 nanometres wide.

Currently Intel is creating 45 nanometre microprocessors and believes it can use photo-litho techniques to shrink its semiconductors to 32 nanometres, but faces limitations after that.

IBM will use them in its own processors in 2009, while AMD and Toshiba will also be granted a licence to use the technique. µ