Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company on Thursday revealed details about its 28nm process technology that extends usage of Silicon Oxynitride (SiON)/poly with a dual/triple gate oxide process and is not based on high-k metal gate (HKMG) dielectrics like process technologies from other companies. TSMC also emphasized that it would start production of chips using 28nm tech in early 2010.

“This development was achieved through close collaboration with customers who are pushing their own boundaries of new applications requiring 28nm technology. We continue this quest to support the most advanced applications being designed by the innovators in the semiconductor industry,” said Dr. Jack Sun, vice president of research and development at TSMC.

Characteristics of TSMC’s 28nm process technology include high density and low Vcc_min 6-T SRAM cells, low leakage transistors, well-proven conventional analog/RF/electrical fuse components and low-RC Cu-low-k interconnect. This technology demonstrates TSMC’s commitment and ability to extend SiON/Poly as a cost-effective solution for low power and high performance. In the paper presented at the 2009 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits in Kyoto, Japan, low standby and low operating power transistors using SiON optimized with strain engineering and aggressive oxide thickness provide up to 25~40% speed improvement or 30~50% active power reduction over prior 45nm technology.

Additionally, the paper reports good 64Mb SRAM functional yield with a competitive cell size of 0.127um², and a raw gate density as high as 3900kGate/mm² in this 28nm dual/triple gate oxide SoC technology. Good SRAM Vcc_min, electrical fuse, and analog performance have also been achieved which proves the manufacturability of this technology.

In the previous announcement made in September 2008, TSMC plans to deliver its 28nm process in early 2010 as a full node technology offering options of power-efficient high performance and lower power technologies. In early 2010 TSMC will be the first company in the industry to offer 28nm fabrication process. Other foundries are only projected to offer 28nm technology in the second half of 2010.

Tags: TSMC, Semiconductor, 28nm