45nm CMOS readied for next-generation LSI devices

NEC Electronics has developed an exciting new 45nm node CMOS basic circuit module incorporating the latest high performance Cu/low-k multilevel interconnects.

NEC Electronics has developed an exciting new 45nm node CMOS basic circuit module incorporating the latest high performance Cu/low-k multilevel interconnects.

This technology promises to deliver next generation LSI devices capable of being clocked at 5GHz at low-voltage (0.9V), achieving doubled device integrity and 20% power savings compared with conventional 65nm-node LSIs.

Silicon LSI devices consist of CMOS transistors and multilevel interconnects that connect the transistors.

Device scaling has resulted in an increase in integration density and operation speed.

This 45nm-node CMOS technology with a seamless low-k stack structure realises a high speed and low-power LSI device capability for use in next-generation devices.

To achieve this performance, NEC Electronics has developed a unique "seamless low-k stack structure" without any high-k silica layers.

The parasitic capacitance of 140nm-pitched lines has been reduced to the world's lowest 85fF/mm, with an effective relative permittivity of 2.9.

Along with the low-k seamless stack, a special self-organising etching technology, which is highly sensitive to the chemical composition and density of the low-k films, was developed.

Consequently, the interconnect-loaded basic circuits of 45nm-node CMOS transistors with 30nm gate-length have been successfully operated to confirm the feasibility of 5GHz-clocked LSI operation even with low power supply voltage such as 0.9V.

NEC Electronics considers 45nm-LSI with high performance interconnects and fine CMOS to be indispensable for low-power and high-speed information technology, and will continue to actively conduct R and D in this area to bring leading edge devices to market.

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