Intel's 10nm Secrets likely Quantum well FETs, germanium, InGaAs

David Kanter predicts Intel will use High-mobility QWFETs (Quantum Well FETs) at 10 nanometers on his Real World Technologies Web site

Intel plans to ramp production of 10nm in the next 12-18 months according to EEtimes

1. The industry will adopt Quantum Well FETs (QWFETs) that use a fin geometry and high-mobility channel materials to achieve excellent transistor performance at nominal operating voltages around 0.5V (compared to roughly 0.7V for FinFETs)

2. The industry will adopt III-V compound semiconductors (most likely In0.53Ga0.47As, alternatively InSb) for the n-type QWFET channel

3. The industry will adopt strained Germanium (most likely) or III-V materials (as an alternative) for the p-type QWFET channel

4. Intel will adopt QWFETs at the 10nm node (most likely), which will probably go into production in late 2015 or early 2016 (alternatively at 7nm in 2017 or 2018)

5. Intel will probably co-integrate conventional transistors and QWFETs, it is less likely (but possible) that the company will use separate substrates that are packaged together to optimize cost

6. The rest of the industry (e.g., Samsung, TSMC, Global Foundries) will wait until the 7nm node to use QWFETs

QWFETs will use two new materials – indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) for n-type transistors and strained germanium for p-type devices

Intel showed work with InGaAs in this image from a 2009 IEDM paper

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