5-minute read - by Sander Hofman, October 3, 2022
The race for the microchip industry’s fastest, finest and most energy-efficient circuitry is intensifying among the world’s largest manufacturers. That’s why chipmakers are integrating brand-new transistor designs in their most advanced chip nodes. One of the most talked-about transistor designs is the gate-all-around transistor, which TSMC, Samsung and Intel have all announced they will be using in the coming years.
What is a transistor?
A transistor is a semiconductor component that amplifies or switches electrical signals. It’s one of the building blocks of modern electronics, including chips. Most of today’s chips contain billions of transistors.
How do transistors work?
Transistors make up the basic fabric of a chip. All transistors are interconnected and act as switches for electrical current. These gates turn on and off, either allowing or preventing current from passing through. This means that each transistor can be in two different states, storing two numbers – zero and one. With billions of transistors, a chip can contain billions of zeros and ones, sending, receiving and processing a remarkable amount of digital data. Just like any switch, a transistor needs to do three things exceptionally well: allow the maximum amount of current to flow through when it’s on, allow little to no current to leak when it’s off, and switch on and off as quickly as possible to guarantee optimal performance.
What are gate-all-around transistors?
Gate-all-around or GAA transistors are an upgraded transistor structure where the gate can come into contact with the channel on all sides, which makes continuous scaling possible.
What makes gate-all-around transistors superior?
To understand what makes GAA transistors better, we must first look at how transistor design has evolved over time, from planar to FinFET to GAA.
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How will gate-all-around transistors change our daily life?
GAA transistors are poised to become part of the most advanced chip designs in the coming years. Because these transistors can be manufactured at a desirable cost for chipmakers, they will help keep the mass production of advanced chips affordable, while driving up the performance of new electronics, 5G connectivity, gaming, graphics, AI solutions, medical technology, automotive technology and more. Additionally, GAA transistors have better performance, less leakage and lower energy consumption, making them a more sustainable, environmentally friendly alternative to older designs.
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