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Is there anything that prevents computer processors from getting physically larger in dimension rather than smaller and smaller transistors?
I am just curious if there is any type of physical limit based on the physics involved with silicon chips, specifically computer processors from being physically larger in terms of die size to increase performance. For example, Intel s Skylake chips are 9mm by 13mm and use 14nm transistors. Is there anything stopping someone like Intel from creating a die that is say 2in by 2in using the same 14nm transistors just having a lot more of them over a larger area, rather than more and more in the same size or smaller area? Does it have to do with cooling? If anyone could explain this, that would be great.
1 Answer
- JackLv 74 years ago
They actually do that. BUT the transistors get so much smaller that you can fit more in a smaller area. And cooling is a problem. Without getting too technical, each transistor has a job. You don't put useless transistors there just to put more on the chip. If it doesn't have a job, then it doesn't go on the chip. Larger parts mean that charges have to move a greater distance. That means slower speeds. Yeah...we really are talking about decreasing time per cycle by decreasing the distance the charge/current has to flow/move.
We're talking about thousands of millions of cycles per second. One Gig is 1000 Meg. Today there's more than one processor per chip. It adds up quickly.
