Vendor Spotlight:

IBM, OTHERS FORM DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, DRIVE 'CELL' CHIP

IBM, Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (Sony Corporation and Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. subsequently referred to as Sony Group) and Toshiba Corporation unveiled, for the first time, some of the key concepts of the highly-anticipated advanced microprocessor, code-named Cell, they are jointly developing for next-generation computing applications and digital consumer electronics.

The four companies also announced that they would reveal technical details of Cell at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) to be held from February 6-10, 2005 in San Francisco.

Specifically, the companies confirmed that Cell is a multicore chip comprising a 64-bit Power processor core and multiple synergistic processor cores capable of massive floating point processing. Cell is optimized for compute-intensive workloads and broadband rich media applications, including computer entertainment, movies and other forms of digital content.

Other highlights of the Cell processor design include:

• Multi-thread, multicore architecture.
• Supports multiple operating systems.
• Substantial bus bandwidth to/from main memory, as well as companion chips.
• Flexible on-chip I/O (input/output) interface.
• Real-time resource management system for real-time applications.
• On-chip hardware in support of security system for intellectual property protection.
• Implemented in 90 nanometer (nm) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology.

Additionally, Cell uses custom circuit design to increase overall performance, while supporting precise processor clock control to enable power savings.

IBM, Sony Group and Toshiba will disclose more details about Cell in four technical papers scheduled for presentation at the International Solid State Circuits Conference.

"Less than four years ago, we embarked on an ambitious collaborative effort with Sony Group and Toshiba to create a highly-integrated microprocessor designed to overcome imminent transistor scaling, power and performance limitations in conventional technologies," said Dr. John E. Kelly III, senior vice president, IBM. "Today, we're revealing just a sampling of what we believe makes the innovative Cell processor a premiere open platform for next- generation computing and entertainment products."

"Massive and rich content, like multi-channel high-definition broadcast programs, as well as mega-pixel digital still and movie images captured by high-resolution CCD/CMOS imagers, require a huge amount of media processing in real-time. In the future, this digital content will fuse and converge on the broadband network, and start to explode," said Ken Kutaragi, executive deputy president and COO, Sony Corporation, and president and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

"To access and/or browse content freely in real-time, a more sophisticated graphical user interface (GUI) within the 3D world will become key in the future. The current PC architecture is nearing its limits, in both processing power and bus bandwidth, for handling such rich applications."

"The progressive breakdown of barriers between personal computers and digital consumer electronics requires dramatic enhancements in the capabilities and performance of consumer electronics. The Cell processor meets these requirements with a multi-processor architecture/design and a structure able to support high-level media processing. Development of this unsurpassed, high- performance processor is well under way, carried forward by dedicated teamwork and state-of-the-art expertise from Toshiba, Sony Group and IBM," said Mr. Masashi Muromachi, Corporate Vice President of Toshiba Corporation and President & CEO of Toshiba's Semiconductor Company.

"Today's announcement shows the substantial progress that has been made in this joint program. Cell will substantially enhance the performance of broadband-empowered consumer applications, raise the user-friendliness of services realized through these applications, and facilitate the use of information-rich media and communications."

Cell provides a breakthrough solution by adopting a flexible parallel and distributed computing architecture consisting of independent floating point processors for rich media processing. Cell supports multiple operating systems, including PC/WS operating systems, as well as real-time CE/Game operating systems. In addition, the Cell processor is scalable and can be utilized in a variety of applications -- from small digital CE systems within the home to entertainment applications for rendering movies, to scientific applications, such as supercomputers.

A team of engineers from IBM, Sony Group and Toshiba are collaborating on the design and implementation of Cell which is expected to deliver vast floating point capabilities, massive data bandwidth and scalable, supercomputer-like performance. The design work is taking place at a joint development lab the three companies established in Austin, Texas, after the project was announced in 2001.

IBM plans to begin pilot production of Cell microprocessors at its 300mm wafer fabrication facility in East Fishkill, NY during the first half of 2005. The first computing application IBM plans for Cell is the Cell processor-based workstation it is developing with SCEI.

Sony Corporation expects to launch home servers for broadband content as well as high-definition television (HDTV) systems powered by Cell in 2006.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. also expects to launch its next generation computer entertainment system powered by Cell to revolutionize the experience of computer entertainment.

Toshiba Corporation envisions diverse applications for Cell and expects to launch its first Cell-based product, a high-definition television (HDTV), in 2006.

MOMENTUM -- FOR POWER ARCHITECTURE TECHNOLOGY

In addition, at an event called PowerEverywhere Beijing, attended by numerous high-ranking government and university officials, regional customers, reporters and industry analysts, IBM and many other companies outlined their vision for a development community for POWER microprocessors, including the formation of Power.org.

Power.org is a community meant to promote advances in Power Architecture technology and make those advances available to a wider community, accelerating open standards for this customizable technology. It was one of several important announcements showing momentum that included:

• Shanghai Belling said it intends to license Power Architecture technology to create advanced chips;
• Culturecom is testing a new "tax organizer" system driven by Power processors;
• Peking University intends to launch a remote access "Linux on Power" initiative;
• IBM will grow the number of engineers supporting its Power Architecture Technology Center in Shanghai by 150 people;
• the company has shipped more than one million IBM Power 970 FX chips;
• new Linux development kits for the IBM Power 750 FX and GX from TimeSys;
• unveiled the details of a pioneering technique to build Power chips known as "wet" immersion lithography while adding new low-power "synthesizable" processor cores to its offerings;
• and detailed the Power Architecture technology in the processor code named Cell.

"IBM is building a soup-to-nuts strategy of being a focal point of technology development for the world's chip suppliers at the baseline and following this through to the market with its design capability and partnerships with other companies. At the same time, it is opening up to make those partnerships viable," said Dan Hutcheson, president, VLSI Research.

Customizing for Local Markets

In today's world -- where innovation on demand is a must -- consumers are surrounded by intelligent devices, such as cars, communication gear, video game stations, MP3 players, computers, network systems, and more. Many of these are driven by Power Architecture technology, and many more might be introduced soon given the technology's flexibility, recent breakthroughs, and greater acceptance by companies in China.

For instance, Shanghai Belling, China's largest semiconductor company, said today it intends to license Power Architecture technology so it can design and manufacture advanced chips for a host of future consumer devices, while Culturecom has introduced a unique kiosk-like system called a tax organizer, now being piloted in several Chinese villages. The organizer helps rural citizens understand a providence's tax structure and how to pay taxes, and it helps the government keep better track of them.

The university setting isn't a stranger to the milestones and accessibility of Power technology, either.

Peking University says it will launch a no cost Internet access pilot program so developers can access Power-driven servers, making it easier for them to develop, port and test "open source" applications. "This also will enhance the level of excellence in undergraduate and graduate engineering programs," said Professor LIN Jianhua, chief vice president of the university.

Million Milestone, Adding 150 Engineers

Chips based on Power technology have been shipped in the multiple millions worldwide, but this week one of its more recent entries, the IBM Power 970 FX, which the firm Semiconductor Insights gave an award to for its new design and technology innovation, reached a new milestone, with more than one million of the chips shipped.

And given its expanded use, with the heightened interest in Power technology in a variety of industry segments, IBM, which designs and manufactures the chips, said it will expand its Power Architecture Technology Center in Shanghai, operated by IBM Engineering & Technology Services, to help clients create their own product designs using the technology. IBM expects support for this center could reach 150 people during the next 18 to 24 months. This would occur through a significant increase in IBM staffing as well as through teaming with local companies that provide engineering skills.

In a related product development, TimeSys, headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA, announced the availability of its TimeStorm Linux Development Kits for IBM PowerPC 750 FX and GX. Thousands of embedded Linux developers worldwide from a range of industries have chosen TimeSys solutions to streamline the development, customization and validation of homegrown or commercial Linux- based embedded systems.

A First in Wet Manufacturing

Innovation in processes used to make chips contributes to IBM's leadership in the area. Dr. Bernard Meyerson, chief technologist, IBM Systems & Technology Group, revealed new details of its pioneering use of immersion lithography.

IBM is the first company to successfully employ this "wet" process to produce commercial microprocessors. These chips, based on IBM's Power architecture, were literally patterned underwater, an industry first.

Using light to pattern chip features in air is reaching the point where one cannot consistently make such features small enough, he explained. The wavelength of light used for patterning chips in a process called lithography is now actually far larger than the features one is making, greatly limiting future progress. Working in a liquid such as water, light can be "bent" more efficiently than in air, enabling it to be directed with greater precision, in theory aiding greatly in chip manufacture. In practice, however, the most fundamental question remained, would challenges due to working "underwater" prevent one from building products with this technique. IBM's successful manufacture of commercial Power microprocessors using immersion has dramatically increased confidence in this new technique's future.

"This advancement holds great promise for continuing progress in chip manufacturing technology well into the future" Dr. Meyerson told the audience.

IBM also announced the addition of two "synthesizable" processor cores, meaning they are easier to manufacture at foundries other than IBM's. They are the IBM PowerPC 440S and the IBM PowerPC 405S, available this month and expected in the first quarter of next year, respectively. A third synthesizable processor core, the IBM PowerPC 450, targeted for the networking and communications segments, is expected to be available in 2006.

Support From Venture Capital Community

Power Architecture technology has drawn the interest of venture capital firms, too. "Venture capital firms have invested in telecommunications, semiconductors and consumer electronics. Power.org can help companies in these segments develop new customers and generate new revenue from their investments in Power," said Robert Jelski, global head of electronics investments for the venture capital company, 3i.

About IBM

IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. IBM is also a recognized innovator in the semiconductor industry, having been first with advances like more power-efficient copper wiring in place of aluminum and faster SOI and silicon germanium transistors. These and other innovations have contributed to IBM's standing as the number one U.S. patent holder for 11 consecutive years. More information about IBM semiconductors can be found at: http://www.ibm.com/chips.