IBM Develops Prototype Chip With Twice the Transistors of Current Models

IBM has produced a prototype chip measuring 10 millimetres by 15 millimetres that contains almost 100 billion transistors. The design places two layers of silicon circuitry on top of each other, doubling transistor density compared with current leading chips.

The company stated the chip will deliver 70 per cent higher energy efficiency and 50 per cent higher performance than existing models. It expects the technology to reach commercial devices within 10 years.

Chip production has long focused on shrinking transistors along two dimensions. IBM's approach adds scaling along a third, vertical axis by bonding two complete layers while maintaining electrical connections and thermal performance. The process builds on IBM's earlier 2-nanometre chip technology announced in 2021.

That design is now produced by multiple foundries and is expected to appear in upcoming smartphones.

The company described the work as the result of 15 years of development. It referred to the process as "0.7 nanometre" technology, though the label functions as a marketing term rather than a literal measurement. Other manufacturers have announced similar density figures, but some rely on multiple layers separated by thick substrate material that limits direct connections between layers.

IBM's method aims to allow electrical links and heat dissipation between the stacked circuits. Further steps will involve integrating the second-layer process into existing 300-millimetre wafer production lines that currently handle trillions of transistors per batch.