What are the main geometric structures of current chips?

Current microchips are built using architectures designed for high-volume manufacturing and miniaturization. Their fundamental structures can be broken down into three core components:

• Transistors: These are the building blocks, currently dominated by the FinFET (Fin Field-Effect Transistor) structure. In a FinFET, the transistor’s conductive channel is raised into a thin, three-dimensional "fin" that sticks up from the substrate. This allows the gate to wrap around three sides of the channel, providing better control over electron flow and reducing leakage compared to older, flat (planar) designs [2, 3].
• Wiring (Interconnects): Chips contain multiple layers of microscopic metal wiring—typically copper—that connect the billions of transistors. These layers are stacked vertically and separated by insulation layers to prevent short circuits. The geometric layout of these wires is highly structured, generally following grid-like paths designed to minimize signal delay [3].
• Insulation (Dielectrics): Between the transistors and the various layers of wiring are insulating materials. These layers are geometrically configured to provide electrical isolation and support the structural integrity of the chip's "stacked" architecture [3].

While the industry is currently transitioning toward even more advanced geometries like GAAFET (Gate-All-Around FET)—where the gate surrounds the channel on all four sides to further improve energy efficiency—the fundamental approach remains a highly ordered, layered, and mostly grid-based geometric system designed for standard lithography processes [2].