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Is TI’s high k on the highway? |
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Sep 19, 2005 at 07:08 PM |
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Texas Instruments is
to migrate "SmartReflex" leakage power technologies to 65nm devices, the
company said in a press statement. Some of the technology was first introduced
for some of TI's 90nm devices in the last 18 months and was positioned then as
a work around for leakage issues experienced at that node.
However, the wording
of today's release give the strong impression that the technology has been
further developed to assist the company in providing power consumption gains
for its next generation of products. TI states that "has solved the 65nm
leakage power challenge for mobile devices with its "SmartReflex" power and
performance management technologies."
The problem could be
just over hyped hype! But it ponders the question of what has happened to the
high k dielectric and associated processes long been under development, that
were earmarked for entry at the 65nm node.
Depending on what
side of the fence you sit, TI has been considered an aggressive Moore's Law
follower, while others have noted that it has also been rather conservative in
its overall process changes. Shrinks yes, materials no!
No semiconductor
company outside of Japan has stated clearly that high k processes will be used
at the 65nm node and we may only get a good sense of TI strategy in December
with the IEDM conference.
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