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IBM Demonstrates High-k/Metal Gate Chips
Last summer we discussed twin announcements from Intel and IBM/AMD about a new chip manufacturing technology dubbed high-k/metal gate. Intel is using the tech to improve speed and power consumption in its 45-nm chips. IBM, along with its manufacturing partners, just demonstrated chips it says show that high-k/metal gate technology at 32 nm can result in performance gains up to 30% and power savings up to 50%, compared to 45-nm process. IBM plans to be manufacturing 32 nm parts by the end of 2009. (AMD is not using high-k/metal gate yet, but it has access to the technology by virtue of its agreements with IBM.)
Huzzah! For the first time in 25 years, the name MOSFET ( Metal -Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) will correctly describe the device that goes by that name!
Sort of. The gate is still mostly poly, with a relatively thin metal layer below it. Also, the devices use a high-k material like HfO2 for the dielectric, with a thin silicon oxynitride mobility enhancement layer. There's a decent overview at Semiconductor International
high-k/metal gate technology at 32 nm can result in performance gains up to 30% and power savings up to 50%, compared to 45-nm process.
Really revolutionary announcement there...
Power consumption scales with the square of gate size. (32*32)/(45*45) = 0.51, or 50%.
Clock speed scales linearly with gate size. 32/45 = 0.71, or 29%.
Not to minimize the fact that these gates reduce leakage enough to actually get those gains, but the drop in gate size alone (all other factors equal) would give the same numbers.
It's not germanium arsenide, it's Gallium (III) Arsenide: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GaAs
On the plus side, this means that solar-powered chips (i.e. transistor and photovoltaic cell on same die) will eventually exist.
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