The main theme at this year’s NCCAVS Junction Technology Group meeting will be 22nm junction, which many believe this will be the first node to use msec-only annealing (i.e. diffusionless), according to meeting chair John Borland, of J.O.B. Technologies. He also gives a quick recap of what’s ahead at 16nm. For more information about the group’s meeting, go to www.avsusergroups.org.

Companies are now starting to introduce 32nm process technology (Intel now, others next year), so this year’s NCCAVS will look ahead at the 22nm node. Discussions are likely to focus on methods, doping techniques, and metrology, Borland says.

Another likely topic of discussion at the meeting: while at the 22nm node there is a majority focus on extending planar CMOS, at the 16nm node FinFETs start to play a major role in terms of junction, he noted.