Intel announced on Wednesday that by build a key portion of a microprocessor’s transistor above the chips surface, it has found a way to make it smaller, faster and lower power consumption.

Intel’s new 3D 32nm transistor

The company stated that this new method of structuring their chips will require up to less than 50% of the power to run them and giving them a 37% speed boost as well.  With this entry coming into the market place this should give Intel the chips needed to break into the rapidly exploding smartphone and tablet market place.  Intel up till now has been relatively weak in that market because of the power consumption required by their processors.  The chips are expected to be in production in this year and should start appearing in computers in 2012.

The company has labels the technology FINFET (for fin field-effect transistor), and is based around small pillars or a fin of silicon that rises above the chip much like that of a high rise office.

Source: NYTimes, Reuters