IMEC makes ‘significant progress’
Belgian research centre IMEC has claimed ‘significant progress’ in improving the performance of planar cmos using hafnium based high k dielectrics and tantalum carbide metal gates. The results were presented at the International Electron Devices meeting.
The development, targeted at the 32nm process node, achieves a low threshold voltage by applying a thin dielectric cap between the gate dielectric and metal gate. In addition, the use of laser only annealing for gate stack engineering has brought a significant reduction of the minimum sustainable gate length and improved short channel effect control. According to IMEC, the same processes have been applied to FinFETs and it says these are now 'a possible candidate technology' for the 22nm node.
The image shows a 32nm cmos ring oscillator created using hafnium based high k dielectrics and tantalum carbide metal gates.
