To enable clients with innovative solutions for faster, smaller, more powerful and more energy-efficient microelectronics devices, IBM researchers continually race ahead of the industry to advance what's possible with microprocessor chips. In a look back at the past decade, these were the top ten such breakthroughs in chip technology—out of the hundreds of innovations that occur every year in IBM labs.
Breakthroughs in chips over a decade
Copper (September 1997)
Replacing aluminum wiring in chips had been thought by most to be impossible, for a number of technical reasons. An IBM team overcame those technical problems, bringing copper wires into production quickly, giving an immediate boost to chip performance. IBM's pioneering techniques are now the industry standard.
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3D Chip Stacking (April 2007)
IBM announces the creation of three-dimensional chips using "through-silicon vias," allowing semiconductors to be stacked vertically instead of being placed near each other horizontally. This cuts the length of critical circuit pathways by up to 1,000 times.
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Semiconductors and systems
