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[013] Deep Dive Topic - The Transistor
Transistors are the “switches” inside every modern processor, but they aren’t just tiny on/off buttons. In this episode, we build an intuition for how MOSFET transistors work, and why EUV lithography matters even though it doesn’t change the transistor’s basic physics. We then take a quick tour of the leading-edge shift from FinFETs to gate-all-around nanosheet devices, plus what’s coming next.
Key takeaways
- A MOSFET controls current by using a gate electric field to create or remove a thin conductive channel between source and drain.
- “Off” is never perfectly off: subthreshold leakage is fundamental and becomes harder to suppress as devices shrink.
- Performance and energy are increasingly limited by capacitances, contact resistance, and interconnect, not just the channel itself.
- EUV lithography uses 13.5 nm light, reflective optics, and vacuum, enabling tight patterning for advanced nodes.
- EUV introduces stochastic variability (randomness) that shows up as roughness and occasional pattern failures at tiny dimensions.
- FinFETs wrap the gate on three sides of a fin for better control than planar transistors.
- Gate-all-around nanosheet transistors wrap the gate fully around the channel, improving electrostatics and offering flexible drive strength.
- The leading edge is converging on GAA plus improved power delivery (including backside concepts) plus more advanced EUV tools (High-NA) where it makes sense.
Glossary
- Transistor: A device that controls current flow; in logic chips it functions as a switch.
- MOSFET: A transistor where a gate electric field modulates a channel through an insulating dielectric.
- Gate / Source / Drain: The control terminal (gate) and the two terminals between which current flows (source and drain).
- Channel (inversion layer): The thin conductive region created under the gate that allows current to flow.
- FinFET: A 3D MOSFET where the gate wraps around a silicon fin on three sides to improve control.
- GAA / nanosheet: Gate-all-around transistor where the gate surrounds thin silicon sheets that form the channel.
- EUV lithography: Patterning with 13.5 nm light using reflective optics in vacuum to print very small features.
- High-NA EUV: A newer EUV generation with higher numerical aperture (0.55) for better resolution and contrast.
- Backside power delivery: Routing power on the wafer backside to reduce congestion and power drop in front-side wiring.
This article was created with the help of AI. AI can make mistakes. Please verify the information if you intend to use it as a basis for your decision-making.
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By EUV The Focal Point - TeamTransistors are the “switches” inside every modern processor, but they aren’t just tiny on/off buttons. In this episode, we build an intuition for how MOSFET transistors work, and why EUV lithography matters even though it doesn’t change the transistor’s basic physics. We then take a quick tour of the leading-edge shift from FinFETs to gate-all-around nanosheet devices, plus what’s coming next.
Key takeaways
- A MOSFET controls current by using a gate electric field to create or remove a thin conductive channel between source and drain.
- “Off” is never perfectly off: subthreshold leakage is fundamental and becomes harder to suppress as devices shrink.
- Performance and energy are increasingly limited by capacitances, contact resistance, and interconnect, not just the channel itself.
- EUV lithography uses 13.5 nm light, reflective optics, and vacuum, enabling tight patterning for advanced nodes.
- EUV introduces stochastic variability (randomness) that shows up as roughness and occasional pattern failures at tiny dimensions.
- FinFETs wrap the gate on three sides of a fin for better control than planar transistors.
- Gate-all-around nanosheet transistors wrap the gate fully around the channel, improving electrostatics and offering flexible drive strength.
- The leading edge is converging on GAA plus improved power delivery (including backside concepts) plus more advanced EUV tools (High-NA) where it makes sense.
Glossary
- Transistor: A device that controls current flow; in logic chips it functions as a switch.
- MOSFET: A transistor where a gate electric field modulates a channel through an insulating dielectric.
- Gate / Source / Drain: The control terminal (gate) and the two terminals between which current flows (source and drain).
- Channel (inversion layer): The thin conductive region created under the gate that allows current to flow.
- FinFET: A 3D MOSFET where the gate wraps around a silicon fin on three sides to improve control.
- GAA / nanosheet: Gate-all-around transistor where the gate surrounds thin silicon sheets that form the channel.
- EUV lithography: Patterning with 13.5 nm light using reflective optics in vacuum to print very small features.
- High-NA EUV: A newer EUV generation with higher numerical aperture (0.55) for better resolution and contrast.
- Backside power delivery: Routing power on the wafer backside to reduce congestion and power drop in front-side wiring.
This article was created with the help of AI. AI can make mistakes. Please verify the information if you intend to use it as a basis for your decision-making.