IBM has jointly developed 32nm processor technology with AMD, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing Ltd., Freescale, Infineon, and Samsung. The latest development will increase the speed of the implementation of a breakthrough material known as "high-k/metal gate" in next generation 32 nanometer (32nm) computer chips. IBM & partners have reduced the chip size by 50 percent as compared to the previous technology. The high-k metal gate chips save about 45 percent total power, and increases system performance by up to 30 percent.

Chips using the new technique will support a range of applications - from low power computer microchips targeted at wireless and other consumer-oriented devices to high performance microprocessors for games and enterprise computing.

This new approach to implementing high-k/metal gate will be available to IBM alliance members and their clients in the second half of 2009.