China shows electronic circuit advance

Chinese researchers say they've made a breakthrough in constructing tiny integrated circuits, which would help local electronics manufacturers.

Scientists at the Institute of Microelectronics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said their metal oxide semiconductor transistors with a gate length of 22 nanometers are a preliminary step to obtaining electronic circuits with a width of just 22 nanometers, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Integrated circuits based on 22-nanometer technology can allow 10 million transistors in an area equivalent to the cross section of a human hair, the researchers said.

International technology firms would be attracted to 22-nanometer IC technology for its potential to reduce the cost of manufacturing products heavily reliant on the nano-scale circuits, like computers and cellphones, they said.

Fully accomplishing 22-nanometer IC technology would mean huge savings for China in importing foreign technologies and boost the competitiveness of China-made IC products, they said.