Nvidia confirmed that it will be one of the first semiconductor companies to manufacture select up-coming graphics processing units (GPUs) at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's (TSMC's) 0.11 μm (micron) process technology. NVIDIA will combine TSMC's 0.11 micron process with its own engineering designs, to deliver high-performance and low-power consumption in a graphics processor.
TSMC's 0.11 micron process technology is fundamentally a photolithographic shrink of its industry-leading 0.13 micron process. The process will be available in both high-performance and general-purpose versions using FSG-based dielectrics. Though actual results are design-dependent, TSMC's 0.11 micron high-performance process also includes transistor enhancements that improve speed and reduce power consumption relative to its 0.13 micron FSG-based technology.
TSMC began 0.11 micron high-performance technology development in 2002 and product qualified the process in December of 2003. Design rules, design guidelines, SPICE and SRAM models have been developed, and third-party compilers are expected to be available in March. Yields have already reached production-worthy levels and the low-voltage version has already ramped into volume production. The 0.11 micron general-purpose technology is expected to enter risk production in the first quarter of next year.