In part one, Russ Perry, dielectric guru, talked about the evolution of dielectric films – the insulation that cradles the 50 plus miles of copper wiring in a modern microprocessor.Now, Applied’s researchers have gone a step further. They’ve developed a new technology that reinforces the dielectric at the atomic level, making it more power-efficient and mechanically stronger.With the aid of various plastic and silicon props, Russ explains how Applied’s new Onyx technology works. This breakthrough will enable chipmakers to fabricate the industry’s lowest capacitance interconnects while making the whole structure tough enough to withstand the stress of hundreds of downstream processes and packaging steps.This is very cool stuff. For more technical information, visit the Onyx page on our website.