by Ed Korczynski, Senior Technical Editor
Intel’s core competencies of extreme discipline in manufacturing execution and proprietary design and yield-learning methodologies, gave the company a headstart on 45nm transistor results using HK+MG. But if IBM and other companies didn’t start manufacturing work two years ago because they expected HK+MG wouldn’t be needed for 45nm, then perhaps Intel has won a very difficult race… as the single contestant.