Melani Warod

Reveal, the chip manufacturing technology development strategy of Samsung may change more greatly according to the message source, they are considering turning to and using gate-last craftwork high-k device. According to the intersection of Samsung and original plan, they produce Model high-k device with gate-first craft in the the intersection of process for preparing and the intersection of chip and products 28/32nm that introduce within the year. But someone thinks Samsung probably will adopt gate-first craft only in 28/32nm process for preparing, but will be turned in 22nm process one to adopting gate-last craft. Herein at the same time, Samsung chip take the place of the intersection of worker and executive vice president Ana Hunter of business segments, refuse to turn to gate-last craft matters and issue any comment on Samsung.

If the report is true, then this undoubtedly indicates three stellar chip fabrication strategy will take place greatly and change. Actually Samsung was headed by IBM, stood fast at a member in gate-first technological IBM technological alliance camp, this camp includes IBM, Great Britain flies and insults, GlobalFoundries, NEC, Samsung, the purpose law semiconductor, companies such as Toshiba,etc..

According to the original plan, IBM, GlobalFoundries will cooperate to put out high-k metal gate electrode (HKMG) of adopting gate-first craftwork with three of Samsung this year The device, but these three companies have not put out a section of HKMG real products based on this kind of technology yet at present.

By contrast, paces insisting on taking Intel Company of route Gate-last are stepped faster, they begin to launch HKMG gate structure from 45nm process node, and put out the products based on 32nm process for preparing HKMG recently.

Except Intel, other several the intersection of chip fabrication and too in make great efforts, lead own product into the intersection of high-k and gate structure big factory, begin from 45nm node, the traditional insulating stratification structure of silicon oxide grid has been already unable to resume and meet the demands, but there are some manufacturers to plan to extend such traditional gate structure to use 28nm node.

But because the difficulty developed on high-k insulating layer is suitable and high, relevant technical progress states do not make people satisfactory. Except launching the insulating layer of high-k bar,manufacturer need of chip also it launch last traditional N metal gate electrode material + /P + dopant polycrystalline silicon gate material.

Can realize at present insulating layer of this kind of high-k + structural craft of the metal gate electrode are mainly divided into two major schools, first Gate-first craft school headed by IBM, but another group is Gate-last craft schools taking Intel as representative figure. In Gate-first craft, similar to traditional transistor-resistor logic manufacturing technology, the polar forming time of bar is earlier than leaking source; In Gate-last craft (also called the grid replacing the craft Replacement-gate) China, the polar forming time of metal gate is later than leaking source, can avoid making the Ministry of worker of high temperature annealing while leaking source in this way, prevent from under the high-temperature condition of relatively lower metal gate electrode material of fusing point the unusual change takes place in the internal structure.

Samsung and platform accumulate the electric craft development strategy to compare with:

Look according to the present situation, Samsung will offer to customer and possess taking the place of the industry and commerce of the insulating layer + metal gate structure products of high-k bar as the first most probably, the high tube Hunter of Samsung has shown: "We think Gate-first craft can meet the present requirement. " And he has also explained at Semico Outlook meeting that held recently that expedite the emergence of Samsung to take the place of six major factors that worker's ability emerges. (Readers can click to look over the concrete content of this six major factors in this interlinkage. )

Unclear Samsung will use Gate-last craft instead in process node of its 22nm at present. But they are setting up and studying Gate-last technological research and development group stealthily at present. It has not been bright that the interest in Gate-last craft of IBM alliance still belongs to too.

By contrast, take the manufacturer of Gate-first process route another original document: Three stellar rival Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has already shown that will turn to and use Gate-last craft. Launching Gate-last craft in 28nm process for preparing HKMG products which Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will put out this year, senior vice-president Jiang ShangYi of the research and development department of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. even shows: "I believe the manufacturer that still stand fast at Gate-first camp at present will be forced to turn in 22nm process node to adopting Gate-last craft. I am not criticizing them, just think they will change the idea finally. Unless they can find a kind of low cost, a scheme of intention control the threshold voltage of the tube very much, otherwise they must turn to Gate-last craft. " (About detail and background of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. 28nm gate last HKMG process for preparing, readers can click this interlinkage to look over. )

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. thinks Gate-last craft possesses some advantages: " Gate-last technological complexity should be slightly higher, the difficulty realized is relatively great too. But once the manufacturer knows its main point, will find actually two kinds of crafts have a lot of applicable to alls, and the cost is quite close. "

"The difference of maximum Gate-last craft needs can make the grid in PMOS/NMOS tube with different metallic material between the two, but can only use the same metallic material to make the grid in Gate-first craft. In this way, use Gate-last craft, manufacturers can regulate the grid metallic material used in PMOS/NMOS tube freely, but Gate-first craft does not possess this kind of advantage. This is the place to have most big difference between the two. "