First silicon on Intel's 90-Nanometer Process Technology
SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 12, 2002 - Researchers at
Intel Corporation have built the world's smallest SRAM (Static Random Access
Memory) memory cell, measuring only one square micron. These cells, the building
blocks of memory chips, were built as part of fully functional SRAM devices
manufactured using Intel's next-generation 90-nanometer (nm) process technology.
The achievement is a milestone toward implementing the new process for
production in 2003. "Intel's new one-square-micron SRAM cell has established a
new density benchmark for silicon technology," said Sunlin Chou, senior vice
president and general manager of Intel's Technology and Manufacturing Group.
"This result gives us an early lead on 90nm process technology for
microprocessors and other products." With the new 90nm process technology, Intel
is on pace to extend its record of introducing a new process generation every
two years. The company will build many of its products on this process,
including processors, chipsets and communications products. Intel plans to use
the 90 nm technology exclusively on 300mm wafers.
SRAM Chip Details
Intel researchers built 52-megabit chips (capable of
storing 52 million individual bits of information), each containing 330 million
transistors on a chip only 109mm2 in size -- smaller than a Ten-Cent Euro coin.
These are the highest-capacity SRAM chips ever reported. These chips were
manufactured in Intel's 300 millimeter development fab
(D1C) in Hillsboro, Ore., using a combination of
advanced 193nm and 248nm lithography tools. Building SRAM chips is commonly used
in the industry for testing next-generation logic manufacturing processes. The
small memory cell size is significant because it will enable Intel to
cost-effectively increase microprocessor performance by adding more on-die cache
memory and increasing overall logic density. The working SRAM chips also
demonstrate successful implementation of all of the 90nm process features
required for microprocessors, including high- performance transistors and
high-speed copper interconnects. For more information on Intel's silicon
research, visit the Intel Silicon Showcase at
www.intel.com/research/silicon.
Intel, the world's largest chip maker, is also a leading manufacturer of
computer, networking and communications products. Additional information about
Intel is available at
www.intel.com/pressroom.
