(December 17, 2003) Leuven, Belgium&#8212IMEC, Europe’s largest independent microelectronics and nanotechnology research center, has successfully demonstrated the use of high-k dielectrics and metal gates to values below one nanometer. Achieving this level of electrical performance using materials other than the traditional polysilicon-based counterparts removes one of the industry’s so-called ‘red brick wall’ barriers to advancing semiconductor technology.

As part of its industrial affiliation program, an IMEC research team utilized metal gates to overcome the problems imposed by the interaction between high-k materials with the commonly used polysilicon electrode.