FinFETtransistorer

FinFETtransistorer are non-planar metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors in which the conducting channel takes the form of a thin fin protruding from the substrate. The gate wraps around the fin on multiple sides, providing improved electrostatic control of the channel compared with traditional planar MOSFETs. This structure enables further device downscaling while limiting leakage.

In a FinFETtransistorer, current flows vertically along the fin between source and drain, with the gate surrounding the fin on at least two sides and the top in a three-dimensional gate. The geometry reduces short-channel effects and improves the subthreshold slope, allowing higher drive currents at a given supply voltage.

History and adoption: FinFET concepts emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s as a solution to scaling limits of planar transistors. They entered volume production in the early 2010s at nodes such as 22 nm and 14 nm, led by Intel and later adopted widely by other foundries.

Materials and manufacturing: FinFET devices typically use silicon with high-k gate dielectrics and metal gates. Manufacturing challenges include precise patterning of fin width and height, uniform gate wrap, and variability control. Advanced variants pursue gate-all-around nanosheets and nanowire devices to further improve control.

Applications and impact: FinFETtransistorer are now standard in modern logic ICs, mobile processors, and high-performance computing, offering better energy efficiency and performance at small nodes compared with planar designs. They remain a key step in semiconductor scaling, alongside emerging alternatives and process innovations.