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News Article

Motorola separates gates

Researchers at Motorola's semiconductor labs have built a "Multiple Independent Gate Field Effect Transistor" (MIGFET). The device allows for one transistor to contain multiple independent gates. Motorola claims it as a "first-of-its-kind". The company believes that the transistor could provide a major boost to the continuing drive toward smaller, more powerful chips.
Researchers at Motorola's semiconductor labs have built a "Multiple Independent Gate Field Effect Transistor" (MIGFET). The device allows for one transistor to contain multiple independent gates. Motorola claims it as a "first-of-its-kind". The company believes that the transistor could provide a major boost to the continuing drive toward smaller, more powerful chips.

The novel transistor gate structure is engineered to pack more computing power into less space and reduce power consumption, while using existing semiconductor manufacturing processes.

Traditional transistor structures have one gate built in a horizontal plane. The semiconductor industry has been experimenting for some time with vertical, double-gated transistors as a way of getting more computing power in less space. Most of these experimental structures have been limited because the two gates are electrically linked.

Motorola instead electrically isolates the gate structures so each can be separately controlled with its own voltage level. The device can use either both gates at the same time or use one gate to dynamically control how much power is consumed, to reduce power consumption. A single MIGFET transistor could perform more complex logic functions that are currently carried out by a number of traditional transistors wired together. The vertical structure squeezes more functionality into less space. In addition, the two independent gates can form the basis of a circuit.

Chief technology officer Dr Claudine Simson reports: "The process techniques being introduced are independent of wafer size and process geometry and have been successfully demonstrated on existing production technologies. Motorola plans to continue to work on refining these advanced devices and incorporate them in a variety of process technologies and product lines."

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