Toshiba Perfects 16nm Process

 

Toshiba has reportedly achieved a major breakthrough in semiconductor manufacturing in the form of a 16nm process. If Toshiba’s claim is true, the new process will give it a major lead on its competitors.

 

Silicon is limited in its current handling ability when fabricated into really thin gate stacks. With most manufacturers trying to reduce their process size to create more cost effective and greener chips, silicon’s limitation is turning out to be a major hindrance. The result is that most manufacturers are struggling to perfect even a 32nm sized process.

 

Toshiba’s breakthrough has reportedly been achieved through strontium germanide, the new material that manufacturers have been experimenting with to replace silicon in semiconductors. The new process involves use of strontium germanide as an interlayer in silicon based chips. The result is highly shrunk chips that work at power levels way below those of standard semiconductors.

 

Toshiba it seems has managed to fabricate a thin enough gate stack using strontium germanide to create metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors at a process size of just 16nm. While the technology is in the laboratory stage at the moment, Toshiba is confident that it will be able to convert it into a commercially viable product.

 

The company will be providing more details about the breakthrough and giving an idea about when its 16nm devices will become available during the VLSI Symposia to be held in Kyoto later this week.

 

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