Q&A

Nanotechnology at Intel Corp., is responsible for directing research and development at Intel in advanced transistors and gate dielectrics for microprocessor applications. He is also responsible for leading research efforts in advanced silicon and non-silicon nanotechnologies for future device and process applications.

NB: How does nanotechnology affect Moore’s Law?

Robert Chau: Moore’s Law states simply that the number of transistors on a chip doubles every two years. If you look at Intel’s track record (see www.intel.com/research/silicon/mooreslaw.htm) you can see that we have been maintaining this pace since the invention of the microprocessor in the early 1970s. We crossed the nanotechnology barrier in 2000 (with the 0.13 µm technology node, which has transistor physical gate length of about 70 nm), and are getting ever deeper into nanotechnology space. A very good example of nanotechnology used in our current 90-nm technology node (in production starting 2003) is the gate oxide, which has physical thickness of only 1.2 nm, about four atomic-layers thick.