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Motorola Produces World’s First
Transistor with Multiple Vertical Independent
Gates
Technology Could Lead to
Smaller, More Powerful Chips That Use Less
Energy
AUSTIN, Texas – Nov. 10, 2003
– Researchers at Motorola, Inc.’s semiconductor labs in Austin,
Texas have built a first-of-its-kind transistor that could provide a major boost
to the continuing drive toward smaller, more powerful chips. Called the Multiple
Independent Gate Field Effect Transistor or MIGFET, the device allows for one
transistor to contain multiple independent gates.
The novel transistor gate structure is
engineered to pack more computing power into less space and reduce power
consumption, while using existing semiconductor manufacturing
processes.
“Our high-performance
customers demand continuous improvements in speed, size and power
consumption,” said Dr. Joe Mogab, vice president and director, Advanced
Products Research and Development Lab, Technology Solutions, Motorola’s
Semiconductor Products Sector. “Motorola’s research into gate
structures is part of our commitment to develop new technologies that will
improve customer’s
products.”
Multiple Independent Gate
Field Effect Transistor
Traditional transistor
structures have one gate built in a horizontal plane, or one place to record the
on/off, zero/one state, which is the basis for all digital information. The
semiconductor industry has been experimenting with vertical, double-gated
transistors as a way of getting more computing power in less space.
Thus far, most of these experimental
structures have been limited because the two gates are electrically linked.
While these structures will offer additional performance improvements over
existing planar devices, Motorola has gone beyond forming a single gate on
multiple sides of nanometer scale silicon. With this breakthrough, Motorola has
electrically isolated the gate structures so each one can be separately
controlled with its own voltage. This promises to enable advancements such
as:
- Lower power consumption – Chip
designers can turn off the device using both gates or use one gate to
dynamically control how much power is consumed, to reduce power
consumption.
- Faster processing speed –
Chip designers can use a single transistor to perform complex logic functions
currently carried out by many transistors wired
together.
- Smaller circuits – With this
vertical structure, chip designers can squeeze more functionality into less
space. In addition, two independent gates can form the basis of a
circuit.
“Such successful research results
establish the viability of leading-edge device structures,” said Dr.
Claudine Simson, chief technology officer, Motorola’s Semiconductor
Products Sector. “The process techniques being introduced are independent
of wafer size and process geometry, and have been successfully demonstrated on
existing production technologies. Motorola plans to continue to work on refining
these advanced devices and incorporate them in a variety of process technologies
and product lines.”
About
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE:MOT) is a global
leader in wireless, automotive and broadband communications. Sales in 2002 were
$27.3 billion. Motorola is a global corporate citizen dedicated to ethical
business practices and pioneering important innovations that make things smarter
and life better, honored traditions that began when the company was founded 75
years ago this year. For more information, please visit
www.motorola.com.
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Media
Contacts:
North
America
Glaston
Ford
+1 (512)
895-6466
glaston@motorola.com
Asia
Pacific
Gloria
Shiu
+85-22-666-8237
gloria.shiu@motorola.com
Europe,
Middle East and Africa
Regina
Cirmonova
+41-22
-799-1258
regina.cirmonova@motorola.com
Latin
America
Ruth
Ruiz
+1 (480)
814-4897
Ruth.Ruiz@motorola.com
MOTOROLA
and the Stylized M Logo are registered in the US Patent & Trademark Office.
All other product or service names are the property of their respective owners.
© 2003 Motorola, Inc.
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