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The next generation of microprocessors may have to be cooled to –100
°C. IBM has experimental chips running at speeds between 2 and 3 gigahertz,
which need to be cooled to maintain “switch-off” times for their supersmall
0.1-micrometre-wide transistors, according to Yuan Taur of IBM in New York. IBM
will announce the details at the International Electron Devices Meeting in
Washington DC next week. Low temperatures overcome the leakage problems that
cause the poor switch-off performance. Such cooling is impractical in laptops,
but Yuan envisages no problems equipping office servers with closed-cycle
refrigerators or thermoelectric coolers.