SAN FRANCISCO—In an unexpected move, Globalfoundries Inc. said Thursday (Sept. 20) it plans to offer 14-nanometer process technology featuring FinFET three-dimensional transistors in 2014, just one year after the foundry's 20-nm process is scheduled to enter production.
The move could allow Globalfoundries (Milpitas, Calif.) to leapfrog foundry rivals and pose a challenge to Intel Corp.'s semiconductor process technology supremacy.
"Globalfoundries is getting extremely aggressive in their manufacturing roadmap," said Len Jelinek, director and chief analyst at IHS iSuppli. "They recognize that in order to be in a technology leadership position foundry, they have to be in a leading position across all semiconductor manufacturing, including Intel."
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]Globalfoundries said its 14-nm XM process combines a 14-nm class FinFET and elements of the company's 20-nm low power process. Executives said the 14-nm FinFETs have a 48-nm fin pitch, the same as the company expects Intel Corp. to feature on its 14-nm tri-gate process. Other feature size measurements are also identical to what Intel is expected to offer at 14-nm, they said.
The acceleration of its process technology development roadmap will likely give Globalfoundries a clear technology lead over other dedicated foundry suppliers. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC) have indicated that they plan to integrate FinFETs in their 20-nm processes, which UMC is set to put in production in the second half of 2014 and TSMC likely some time after.
Executives said the new process would give customers the technology needed to compete with Intel, the undisputed leader in semiconductor process technology. Intel began production of 22-nm devices with FinFETS—which Intel calls tri-gates—earlier this year.
Mike Noonan, executive vice president of worldwide marketing and sales at Globalfoundries, said the company pulled in its roadmap specifically to "intercept" Intel at 14-nm. "The goal is to give our customers the power and performance to compete with Intel," Noonan said.
A conventional planar FET (left) and a FinFET. FinFETs offer greater power efficiency because they operate at a lower Vdd and have lower leakage.