News Article
Soitec joins ATDF's 45nm project
French company Soitec has announced that it will supply silicon-on-chip (SOI) substrates for a major initiative aimed at developing multi-gate field effect transistor (MuGFET) technology for the 45nm node and below.
The research project is being spearheaded by Texas-based research body Advanced Technology Development Facility (ATDF) - a subsidiary of trade consortium Sematech - and involves chip makers, equipment suppliers and universities.
MuGFET is a generic term used to describe a variety of new, multiple-gate field effect transistors, including CMOS FinFETs (FETs with "fin-shaped" transistors) and triple-gate devices.
These transistors - which are unusual in that they are non-planar - are increasingly being seen as an alternative to simple scaling down in the race to keep up with Moore's Law.
If the technology can be developed to mass-produce them, MuGFETs could be introduced into manufacturing within several years and could eventually replace conventional CMOS transistors.
Soitec has become involved on the project because these new transistors rely heavily on the use of high quality, very thin SOI wafers as a starting material.
The French company is an expert in this area. It has already provided SOI engineered substrates for the verification of a 45nm node MuGFET test chip using 248nm lithography as part of the ATDF programme.
And now it has committed itself to providing further SOI substrates for the development of a working FinFET transistor to be processed with 193nm lithography.
The research project is being spearheaded by Texas-based research body Advanced Technology Development Facility (ATDF) - a subsidiary of trade consortium Sematech - and involves chip makers, equipment suppliers and universities.
MuGFET is a generic term used to describe a variety of new, multiple-gate field effect transistors, including CMOS FinFETs (FETs with "fin-shaped" transistors) and triple-gate devices.
These transistors - which are unusual in that they are non-planar - are increasingly being seen as an alternative to simple scaling down in the race to keep up with Moore's Law.
If the technology can be developed to mass-produce them, MuGFETs could be introduced into manufacturing within several years and could eventually replace conventional CMOS transistors.
Soitec has become involved on the project because these new transistors rely heavily on the use of high quality, very thin SOI wafers as a starting material.
The French company is an expert in this area. It has already provided SOI engineered substrates for the verification of a 45nm node MuGFET test chip using 248nm lithography as part of the ATDF programme.
And now it has committed itself to providing further SOI substrates for the development of a working FinFET transistor to be processed with 193nm lithography.
