IBM to Unveil Semiconductor Breakthrough

International Business Machines Corp. will unveil a breakthrough in building high-speed transistors that it says can boost the performance of computers and communications gear by up to 35%. The world’s largest computer maker said the new “silicon-on-insulator” technology represents a fundamental advance in the way chips are built. The Armonk, N.Y.-based technology giant said that the technique will lead to more powerful chips for network servers and enable better voice-recognition software, smaller cell phones and more portable Internet-access devices. The news complements IBM’s recent breakthrough in creating faster, lower-cost chips using copper instead of aluminum.