IBM and its chip-alliance partners say a breakthrough chipmaking material known as “high-k/metal gate” has been thoroughly tested and is ready to roll on devices manufactured at IBM’s 300-millimeter semiconductor plant in East Fishkill, N.Y. Chip designers will be able to use the new technology to realize performance and ability savings advantages in their next-generation products, the partners said.

“Demonstrating that caliber of outcome in a practical environment means that as our collective client base moves to next-generation technology by using the ‘gate-first’ approach, they will continue to maintain a significant competitive advantage,” said IBM Vice President Gary Patton.

Small, Fast and Efficient

Executives from IBM, Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing, Freescale, Infineon Technologies, Samsung Electronics, STMicroelectronics and Toshiba believe that high-k/metal gate technology will be able to serve as the basis for achieving a long-sought improvement to the transistor. Foundry support for customers implementing chips featuring 32-nanometer circuitry will be made available in the third quarter,

However, Gartner Vice President Dean Freeman notes that the switch to high-k/metal gate technology did not come easy. “The integration of the high-k dielectrics with silicon has been challenging, to say the least,” he said, adding that technical issues led device manufacturers “to push out high-k materials just one more generation, until now.”

The new material’s use in a critical portion of the transistor — where the primary on/off switching is controlled — will enable chips to become smaller, faster and more power-efficient than previously thought possible. And industry observers say the new technology could soon move into many consumer devices, particularly those with critical power-consumption and battery-life requirements.

“The alliance enabling sampling at that early moment will allow companies to start producing devices in 2009 for commercial consumption, which is about the same moment Intel will be moving into production with 32nm,” Freeman said. …

Orginal post by Top Tech News