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What constitutes 90nm?While Sony's EmotionEngine+Graphics Synthesizer (EE+GS) found in the latest PlayStation PSX is an impressive device, it remains closer to the 130nm than the 90nm process node as defined by the ITRS roadmap. This has sparked renewed industry interest in what constitutes 90nm. Here is Semiconductor Insights' most recent SEM cross-section of the EE+GS with an average gate length (LG) of 65nm.
This measurement has been confirmed by sources at Sony and reinforced by Sony's own documentation and a joint paper between Toshiba and Sony presented at IEDM. According to the ITRS roadmap, a nominal LG of 37nm would qualify as 90nm. The smallest gates on the IBM PowerPC 750FX — a 130 nm design — were 55 nm. However, LG can be a very confusing indicator of technology, since gate lengths have scaled more aggressively than the stated minimum feature size for a given lithography node ever since the 0.25 µm generation. Semiconductor Insights is publishing a report that will define the 90nm process node providing a baseline against which to accurately measure Sony's progress towards 90nm with the EE+GS. Detailed technical analyses of the EE+GS will be included in this report. Related Links
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