GigaOM

As the lines etched on chips get smaller (Moore’s Law again), some, among them Intel and Qualcomm, believe that limiting the way those lines can be drawn will lead to cheaper manufacturing. Instead of etching lines onto chips that resemble jigsaw puzzles, think Tetris-style blocks. Intel said today it has invested in Campbell, Calif.-based startup Tela Innovations, which is pushing a block-style lithography that seems to limit certain manufacturing costs as chips get below the 45-nanometer mark.