Henriok,
No, I have seen no documents stating that. All I have seen it that IBM have stated that the 970 processors would reach 2.5+ GHz, with no mentioning of any fabrication process. I have always interpreted that they'd reach the higher clocks at a later point on a new fab.. ie 90 nm.
In a press release from IBM themselves, which ArsTechnica posted, it said this:
http://www.arstechnica.com/news/posts/1046380113.html
The new IBM PowerPC 970 is the heart of the PowerPC Blade. It is based on the 64-Bit Power 4 architecture which is also used in the processors of the IBM eServer pSeries. The 64-bit microprozessor
Offers full symmetrical multi-processing
Has a high reliability (with parity L1, ECC L2 and parity checked system bus)
Is manufactured in the latest 0,13 micrometer Copper/SOI CMOS technology
Runs at frequences ranging from 1.8 GHz - 2.5 Ghz
By IBM claiming that the PPC on a .13um process hitting 2.5GHz, I mistyped and put 2.6GHz in my other post, I took it that they are infact transitioning quicker, or problems with the .13um process.
I don't know about that. Lot of information of this type is covered by heavy NDAs, which probably have been lifted now. If you look at Apple's relationship with Motorola, Apple have always been able to get procesosrs clocked way higher than what Motorola have had available to ordinairy customers. Apple getting 1.42 GHz parts when Moto them selves only says 1 GHz.
Moto themselves never targeted their CPU's beyond smaller embedded applications, and high end networking equipment OEM's. IBM on the other hand, are pushing their processors for various high end applications in computing. In their own workstations, servers, blades. As well as targeting outside smaller technology companies actively pushing Linux. Navigate through the IBM Microelectronics website to the December 2003 Journal, and see the long list of companies actively using PPC CPU's. With IBM, Apple, and lots of other small companies trying to push PPC, someone is gonna leak something somewhere, or new products were start surfacing right away if the were on the market.
The troubles Intel are facing are completely different from what IBM and Moto are facing. IBM and AMD are using mature SOI technology to counteract the very thing Intel is struggling with, and the numbers that we've now seen with 970 concerning wattage suggest's that IBM's 90 nm fab is in VERY good health.
IBM's new facility in East Fishkill is very good, and built for making 90 nm parts and beyond. AMD's 130 nm fab was co-developed with Motorola and.. well.. it was developed with Motorola, nuff said. Even if they now have a licenced stuff from IBM they most certainly will lag IBM in deployment. And.. pushing for 90 nm in the summer isn't bad at all. AMD is in great shape AFAIK. Intel on the other hand must get their act together quickly. +100 W for a Prescott ain't cool at all.
Yes, SOI is a proven concept that both AMD and IBM have used in their latest processor designs, but it doesn't matter how mature the process is, once you transition to a new smaller process, it takes time to perfect the design. Case and point, AMD released "Hammer" samples at .13um 8 months or so before it launched, and the highest speed they could demo was 800MHz, later they launched at 1.4, 1.6, and few weeks later 1.8 rolled out, at that time .13um was still new to AMD, and they had to pay IBM $45M to bail them out to fix their process problems with it. By the way, the .13um was not co-developed with Moto as you said, their .18 copper interconnect was co-developed with Moto.
With IBM moving to 90nm and being so successful with .13um, does not mean instantly they will be able to crank up the MHz, it will take time before the process is refined enough for them to push the clock rate much higher.
I guess I am just worried as to the reason IBM made such a quick transition to 90nm, and that worried me that the .13um process for the 970 was leading to major problems.
The "next generation" will be 975, and it is targeted at +3 GHz.
Again, the naming scheme is still unconfirmed, and speculation at this part.
-PPCTech
You just thought the G5 ran hot; any computer running Prescott will take 200 fans to cool it and be a big as the QEII 
