TSMC announces move to 20 nm process

Citation

(2010), "TSMC announces move to 20 nm process", Microelectronics International, Vol. 27 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/mi.2010.21827cab.009

TSMC announces move to 20 nm process

Article Type: Industry news From: Microelectronics International, Volume 27, Issue 3

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd (TSMC), will skip the 22 nm manufacturing process node and move directly to a 20 nm technology. The move is value driven to make advanced technology a more viable alternative for its customers.

During his address to nearly 1,500 TSMC customers and third party alliances, Dr Shang-yi Chiang, TSMC Senior Vice President, Research & Development, said that the move to 20 nm creates a superior gate density and chip performance to cost ratio than a 22 nm process technology and makes it a more viable platform for advanced technology designers. He also announced that TSMC is expected to enter 20 nm risk production in the second half of 2012.

The technology will be based on a planar process with enhanced high-K metal gate, novel strained silicon, and low-resistance copper Ultra-Low-K interconnects. Dr Chiang also indicated that the company has demonstrated record-setting feasibility of other transistor structures such as FinFET and high-mobility devices.

The technical rationale behind the move is based on the capability of innovative patterning technology and layout design methodologies required at these advanced technology nodes.