TSMC Representatives noted that the company is not going to develop several types of process technology in the 20 nm standards. As the main reasons for the decision are cited minimal differences in consumer qualities of chips obtained by different version of the process technology. TSMC will manufacture chips on 20 nm technology using so-called method of HKMG - materials with high dielectric constants, and transistors with metallic lock.
Colleagues after talking with experts in the field of lithographic production identified another reason . According to preliminary estimates, in order to justify the cost of 20nm process technology development TSMC will need to produce about 100 million chips. In such circumstances, to prepare several version of the same process technology simply is not profitable.
The transition to 20nm technology will begin in the second half next year, but the mass products will appear only in 2014.