SAN FRANCISCO—In a surprising move, Globalfoundries Inc. announced Thursday (Sept. 20) it plans to offer a 14-nanometer process technology featuring FinFET three-dimensional transistors in 2014, just one year after the foundry is scheduled to put its 20-nm process in production.
Globalfoundries (Milpitas, Calif.) 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 set to put them in production at in the second half of 2014 and TSMC likely some time after.
[Get a 10% discount on ARM TechCon 2012 conference passes by using promo code EDIT. Click here to learn about the show and register.]Executives said the roadmap acceleration would put Globalfoundries on a course to challenge Intel's process technology supremacy. 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.
FinFETs are three-dimensional, double gate transistors that have been the subject of research by companies and universities for more than a decade. FinFETs consume less power than conventional transistors. Globalfoundries maintains that its 14-nm XM technology is expected to deliver a 40 to 60 percent improvement in battery life compared with today's two-dimensional transistors.
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