The worlds largest and most profitable semiconductor foundry has announced preliminary details regarding what it claims will be categorized as a full node process for the 28nm node, employing options on high-k metal gate (HKMG) or silicon oxynitride (SiON) materials depending on the IC application and customer requirements. TSMC said that several customers were already working on designs with TSMC for the 28nm node, while initial production is expected in the first quarter of 2010. The 28nm node would be treated by the ITRS as a half-node technology, between 32nm and 22nm.
“Product differentiation, faster time-to-market and investment optimisation are the three most important values TSMC delivers to our customers. In support of these values, we are developing this comprehensive 28nm technology family so that it offers choices, depending on the customer applications and performance requirements,” said Jason Chen, vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, TSMC.
TSMC will offer a low power process using the SiON technology it has already developed and employed while a new high performance process will use HKMG. This will be TSMC’s first foray with HKMG in a standard HP process.
The 28LPT process is expected to go into initial production in the beginning of 2010. The 28HP process is expected to enter initial production in the first half of 2010, while the first 28nm CyberShuttle, prototyping service, will begin near the end of this year, TSMC said.