Chip researchers will hit fundamental physical limits that will prevent them from further shrinking chip sizes in the next ten to fifteen years, Intel co-founder Gordon Moore predicted at the Intel Developer Forum.

Moore is best known for a theory that he published in 1965, predicting that transistor sizes will decrease by 50 per cent every 18 to 24 months. As a results chip speeds will double or prices will be cut in half. Named after its inventor, the theory has become known as Moore's law.

"In another decade, decade and half or something, we will hit something that is fundamental," Moore said when asked if there would be an end to his 'law'.

But he also pointed out that there always have been fundamental barriers that prevented chip technologies from further advancing.

"There really are some fundamental limits. It's been amazing to me how the technologies have been able to keep pushing those out ahead of us. As long as I can remember, the fundamental limits are two, three generations out. So far we have been able to get around them."

Intel for instance had been rallying to develop its 45nm processors. Current 65nm chips use gate materials that are only 5 molecules thick. Any further decrease would have caused a drastic increase in power leakage. Intel however started to use to build smaller, more efficient transistors.

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