This quick access makes processing fast as instructions are 'fetched' to the Prefetch Unit where they are put in the proper order for processing. Ions Atoms or molecules that have a net electrical charge. In semiconductor manufacturing, ions are the source of chemical impurities that alter the conductivity of silicon. Itanium Brand name for the first product in Intel's IA-64 family of processors, formerly codenamed Merced. A collection of transistors and resistors that implement Boolean logic operations on a circuit board.
Transistors make up logic gates.
Logic gates make up circuits. Circuits make up electronic systems. This is the big store house of data located within the main computer outside of the microprocessor. At times the Main Memory may send in data or instructions for the Prefetch Unit, which often get stored at an address in the Instruction Cache to be used later. Mask Masks used in the chip making process are like stencils.