Intel Corporation, one of the leaders in the computer parts business, has won the “Semiconductor Innovation of the Year Award” for its “Tri-Gate Transistor.” The tri-gate transistor is the first 3-D transistor and is a major improvement over the transistors which were developed fifty years ago. The tri-gate transistors will enter mass production by year end and will be produced in Intel chips.

Tri-gate transistors will improve performance and reduce power requirements for an entire spectrum of 22nm-based products from the miniature handheld devices to powerful servers.

The award is given by the Wall Street Journal which has three criterion for judging winning innovations.

1. Does the innovation break away from known ideas or processes already in use?

2. Does the innovation do more than marginally improve existing technology?

3. Will the innovation have a wide ranging influence on its field or on future technology?

Apparently Intel’s tri-gate transistor met these criterion fully.