Intel Corp (INTC)

[SemiconEng]

TSMC: Move to 65nm More Challenging Than to 90nm

http://www.reed-electronics.com/semiconductor/article/CA527877?spacedesc=news
SAN JOSE -- For foundry giant TSMC, the move to 65nm designs, which the company will take into production at the end of this year, will be more challenging than the move to 90nm.

That’s because Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) is using a new material in its transistor gate stack, nickel silicide, and a lot of strained silicon at the 65nm process node, said Shang-Yi Chiang, senior VP of R&D, during a press conference at the company’s annual spring tech conference here Tuesday. The move to 90nm from 0.13-micron did not mean any materials changes for the Taiwan-based company, he said, making for an easy transition.