Chip Firm Promises Advanced Technology

A machine maker for the semiconductor industry says it has found a unique way to quadruple the performance of today’s microprocessor chips, an advance that could speed up many computer functions. The production improvement, to be announced today by Chatsworth-based Plasma & Materials Technologies Inc., is still in the test stage. But it tackles a growing challenge faced by chip makers as they cram more transistors onto each microprocessor: keeping its signals from getting crossed. The thumb-nail-size microprocessor functions as the “brains” of a computer. An ability to carry signals four times more efficiently would enable computers to perform calculations in one-fourth the time it now takes. It also could allow manufacturers to fit more transistors onto each chip, a growing hurdle to building more and more powerful computers.