With 3D transistors, Intel may finally have the ammunition it needs to do battle in the smartphone and tablet markets. Intel claims its new transistors can switch 37 percent faster than those made with its existing 32-nm process in chips that operate at low voltage, or 18% faster in chips that operate at high voltage. Transistors switching at the same speed as those in the company's 32nm chips can operate at significantly lower voltage, cutting power consumption in half. This change in how chips are produced is expected to raise production costs by a modest 2 or 3%, which is well worth the dramatic improvement in performance.

What It Means for You

The first products to hit the market using this new manufacturing technique will be Intel's "Ivy Bridge" line, the successor line to the current "Sandy Bridge" line. This means the new technology will first appear in laptops, desktops, and servers that use Intel's chips. The faster switching speeds, lower voltage operation, and lower leakage should make Ivy Bridge processors considerably more energy-efficient than the Sandy Bridge CPUs in systems today. These products are expected to hit the market in early 2012.

It will take more time for the 22nm process, and its associated 3D transistor technology, to show up in Intel's low-power Atom CPU lineup and system-on-chips designed for smartphones and tablets. In April, Intel said it would release its first true in 2013. This manufacturing technology is what will make that product possible.

Intel will use this 3D transistor structure on all chips produced on its 22nm manufacturing process, regardless of the type of chip or to which market it is targeted. The upsides should be considerable and the downsides minimal. Other chip fabrication companies have been working on 3D gate structures, but aren't expected to bring them to market for some time. Most of Intel's competitors aren't expected to ship 22nm high-performance products until at least late 2012, and won't use a 3D gate structure similar to Intel's until the next major manufacturing process step, a couple of years later.