Summary : The development of Hi-k Dielectric Materials mark a key turning point in the history of the semiconductor industry. By the early 2000’s, IC integration scale was reaching a limit that threatened Moore’s Law, with many pundits predicting its end at the time. As CDs (Critical Dimensions) reached below the 100nm nanotechnology threshold, simple scaling using Dennard’s rules for transistors faltered as leakage forced speed down and power consumption up. This led semiconductor R&D teams to sear ... See More