The latest Intel's press release - entitled "Intel's Silicon Photonics Advancement Aims to Accelerate Future Computing, Communications" - unveils a major achievement in Silicon Photonics, an emerging technology using standard silicon to send and receive optical information among computers and other electronic devices, allowing ultra-fast data transfer for future bandwidth-intensive computing applications, such as remote medicine and lifelike 3-D virtual worlds.
A team led by Intel researchers created the silicon-based APD (Avalanche Photodetector), a light sensor that achieves superior sensitivity by detecting light and amplifying weak signals as light is directed onto silicon. This APD device used silicon and CMOS processing to achieve a "gain-bandwidth product" of 340 GHz -- the best result ever measured for this key APD performance metric. This opens the door to lower the cost of optical links running at data rates of 40Gbps or higher and proves, for the first time, that a silicon photonics device can exceed the performance of a device made with traditional, more expensive optical materials such as indium phosphide.
Close-up of a silicon Avalanche Photodetector chip. In the center is a grid of many individual photodectors with different designs, allowing researchers to test various properties of the devices.
A spot of light shines on a silicon Avalanche Photodetector chip. Each yellow circle here is a different photodetector experiment.
A ladybug crawls across an experimental Avalanche Photodetector chip containing silicon optical devices that are only a fraction of a millimeter. 
A packaged silicon Avalanche Photodetector held in a pair of tweezers. A silicon chip is mounted in the circle on the upper right, while electrical pins on the lower left allow researchers to interface the device with test equipment.
A packaged silicon Avalanche Photodetector. The silicon chip is the grey square in the center of the image. Wire-bonds connect the device to the package pins, which in turn allow researchers to interface the device with test equipment.
The Intel® Core™ i7 processor family represents the next step in processor energy efficiency, performance, and dynamic scalability. Designed from the ground up to take advantage of hafnium-based Intel® 45nm hi-k metal gate silicon technology, Intel® Core™ i7 processors will also be the first to introduce Intel® QuickPath technology. Intel QuickPath technology is a point-to-point connection—there is no single bus that all the processors must use and contend with to reach memory and I/O. This improves scalability and eliminates the competition between processors for bus bandwidth. In addition, Intel® Core™ i7 processors feature Intel® Hyper-Threading technology, an integrated memory controller and Intel® Turbo Boost technology.
THE MICROPROCESSOR REPORT reckons that Intel’s “Atom” architecture will outflank Via’s microarchitecture on the wattage stakes.
Basically, it’s all a matter of how long your little UMPC lasts without finding somewhere to plug it into, or before it burns a hole in your pocket.
And it is, as usual, to do with the operating system you are running, the size of the screen and the usual familiar notebook stuff. No change there, then.
In its latest report, MPR editor Tom H said: “Even the new Isiaiah microarchitecture from Via Technologies – formerly the low power X86 leaders – can’t match Atom’s TDPs.”
TDP stands for thermal design power, and MPR editor Tom Halfhill reckons the Atom will make the grade.
There could be a joker in the pack – and that’s a process shrink of Via’s chip. The Intel Atom apparently has a maximum power advantage over Isiaiah at 45 nanometres compared to 65 nanometres. Perhaps Via has plans to shrink its die. Most chip companies do.
Of course, the last thing any chip company is going to do is actually talk to people like us at the INQ. There’s too much at stake. MPR reckons Intel is going back to its roots by introducing the "Atom". Oh, come on, Tom. Next thing you'll be saying AMD has a "viable platform going forward." µ
Demand appears to be stronger than expected for Intel’s Atom chip and the netbooks that they power, according to a Citi report.
In a research note, analyst Glen Yeung said:
Field checks from Japan suggest Intel has ordered 20M Atom flip-chip packages for 3Q08 and 25M for 4Q08. This is orders of magnitude more than our modeled 2M and 2.5M units in that timeframe. These figures do sound aggressive to us (and some is likely inventory build) and so we believe a substantive haircut is appropriate. Nonetheless, even at half these levels, Atom is running well ahead of our expectations.
On Intel’s second quarter earnings conference call, the company was optimistic about Atom’s prospects and CEO Paul Otellini touted the Netbook/mobile Internet device markets. At the time, it was a little unclear how demand would turn out. Yeung noted that “netbook demand has been surprisingly strong” as Dell, Lenovo, Asus and Acer all roll out devices.
Yeung also reports that Intel will launch a desktop Atom processor in the third quarter that should further boost units. And embedded Atom platform–dubbed Navy Pier–should follow.
There are a couple wildcards here. Yeung says demand is strong, but he’s basing that conclusion on OEMs that are launching netbooks. The bigger question is whether consumers will follow through. And it’s also unclear what Intel chips Atom will cannibalize–most likely Celeron, which has lower profit margins anyway.
In the netbook/chip battle, Intel has a mostly open field right now with Atom. AMD isn’t playing in the netbook market and Intel’s only competition is Via. However, Via shouldn’t be written off. J.P. Morgan analyst Christopher Danely said in a research note that Intel’s share at PC manufacturers may have slipped due to HP’s decision to build more systems with AMD and Via. Danely’s model excludes the channel so I’d take it with a grain of salt. The big takeaway is that Via is showing up as a viable competitor these days. I’ll have to bone up on Via. It’s a blast from the past, but haven’t tracked them much lately.
Intel® Atom™ Processor Microarchitecture
Intel's smallest chip. Built with the world's smallest transistors¹.
"This is our smallest processor built with the world's smallest transistors. The Intel® Atom™ processor is based on an entirely new design, built for low power and designed specifically for a new wave of Mobile Internet Devices and simple, low-cost PC's. This small wonder is a fundamental new shift in design, small yet powerful enough to enable a big Internet experience on these new devices. We believe it will unleash new innovation across the industry."
– Intel Executive Vice President Sean Maloney
As Intel's smallest and lowest power processor², the Intel® Atom™ processor enables the latest Mobile Internet Devices (MIDs), and another new category of devices for the internet called netbooks and nettops.
Newly designed from the ground up, 45nm Intel® Atom™ processors pack an astounding 47 million transistors on a single chip measuring less than 26mm², making them Intel's smallest and lowest power processors.¹ All this while delivering the power and performance you need for full Internet capabilities.+
Get a new range of power-efficient devices with excellent performance enabled by all new hafnium-infused 45nm high-k silicon technology
Increase energy efficiency in smaller more compact designs with a thermal design power specification ranging from less than 1W to 2.5 watts for mobile devices
Extend battery life in select devices with an incredibly low idle and average power allowing the device to stay powered on while also conserving energy
Based on an entirely new microarchitecture, the Intel® Atom™ processor was developed specifically for targeted performance and low power while maintaining full Intel® Core™ microarchitecture instruction set compatibility. Intel® Atom™ processors also feature multiple threads for better performance and increased system responsiveness.
