INDUSTRY NEWS

MIT lab makes world's smallest gate length transistors using direct optical lithography

Researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory have made the world's smallest gate length transistors using direct optical lithography. The transistor gates measure 0.05 µm and were fabricated using Numerical Technologies' phase-shifting technology and a deep-UV 248-nm optical stepper.

Y.C. Pati, president and CEO of Numerical Technologies, credited "prudent use of phase shifting" for extending the capabilities of optical lithography. He asserts that the results of the DARPA-sponsored program prove that "optical lithography can be extended much further than anyone ever thought was possible." The program was established to explore sub-100-nm SOI CMOS processes. San Jose­based Numerical Technologies sells software and services for manufacturing ICs with feature sizes below the wavelength of deep-UV optical light.

The achievement is not the first successful subwavelength manufacturing project. Approximately one year before the latest announcement, Motorola fabricated 0.1-µm feature sizes using Numerical Technologies' phase-shifting software and 0.18-µm processes.