IC Gate Size Generations
Edited by David Barth, 7 December 2008
from page 78 of the September 29, 2008 issue of Aviation Week & Space
Technology, by David Hughes.
IC Gate Size Generations
- 150-nanometer.
This gate size was state-of-the-art in 2000. Foundries have moved beyond this size, but the military continues to
use it because of the high cost of developing radiation hardened designs for smaller gates.
- 90-nanometer.
This gate size may be achievable for radiation-hardened ICs, but designs with smaller gates may not be able to
provide radiation-hardening. Commercial applications that do not require radiation hardening have moved beyond
this size.
- 65-nanometer.
State-of-the-art in commercial applications is moving beyond this gate size.
- 45-nanometer.
Current, state-of-the-art in gate size as of the time of this writing.
- 32-nanometer.
Gates of this size are on the drawing boards to replace 45-nanometer gates in the future.