Sun Microsystems expects to release the next major upgrade to its UltraSPARC line of processors before the middle of next year, according to company documents.
Sun plans to launch its UltraSPARC IV processor at 1.2GHz between the first and second quarter of 2003, according to processor roadmaps obtained by IDG News Service.
As its current family of UltraSPARC III processors approaches 1.2 GHz Sun will gradually phase that line out, according to the roadmaps. The UltraSPARC III used in most servers today runs at 900MHz or 1.05GHz. Sun will sell the 1.2GHz UltraSPARC IIIs and the UltraSPARC IV chips side by side for a time before phasing out the older family, the roadmaps show.
The Sun documents show the UltraSPARC IV being built with copper interconnect technology and a 0.13-micron manufacturing process. The figure refers to the dimension of features etched onto the surface of chips.