Applied Materials has announced a new tool for reducing the power consumed by chips, thereby enabling a new generation of powerful new gadgets with longer battery life.

The innovation is built into the chip equipment manufacturers newest tool, the Applied Producer Onyx film treatment system being announced today. Each semiconductor chip — which serve as the brains of electronic gadgets from laptops to iPhones — has miles of microscopic electrical wiring built into it these days. The new Onyx effectively wraps those wires in a layer of insulation that can be accurately built at tiny dimensions. via Venture Beat

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