IDT (IDTI) announced the industry's first network search engine manufactured on Taiwan Semiconductor's (TSM) 90 nanometer process technology.

This next-generation IDT device, which is now sampling, achieves new levels of performance, cost and power consumption to further accelerate packet processing in enterprise switches and core/edge routers.

Utilizing cutting-edge process technology and innovative design techniques, the IDT next-generation network search engine (NSE) doubles core search performance while cutting power consumption in half and reducing package size by 30 percent. In addition, because the TSMC 90 nm technology utilizes 300mm wafers for its manufacturing process, IDT achieves world-class economy of scale and efficient NSE production.

"Our product development strategy incorporates the right mix of in-house manufacturing and outsourcing to leading facilities such as TSMC," said Scott Sarnikowski, vice president and general manager for the IDT IP co-processor division. "In this case, we are able to leverage our design expertise with TSMC's intimate knowledge of the fabrication process to develop NSEs that provide new levels of performance to support the emergence of next-generation triple-play services such as IP TV and VoIP, as well as to provide more efficient processing of IPv6 traffic."

In addition to offering the industry's first NSE manufactured on 90 nm process technology, IDT is also the first NSE vendor to announce shipments exceeding seven million units. All of the company's NSE devices are coupled with comprehensive design support, including hardware and software design tools that speed time to market and lower overall development costs.

TSMC's Nexsys 90nm is the only foundry process at that node to feature standard copper interconnects, low-k dielectrics, and 12-inch wafer production. The Nexsys 90nm process provides a 2-times gate density improvement, 35 percent faster speed, 60 percent improvement in active power savings and a 20 percent interconnect RC improvement compared to the company's 0.13 micron process.

IDT provides a comprehensive family of NSEs that accelerate packet processing and enable intelligent application management in next-generation networking equipment. IDT offers the industry's highest-performance NSE operating up to 250 MHz, and was the first vendor to introduce an NSE with an integrated LA-1 interface.