Intel 4 Process Node In Detail: 2x Density Scaling, 20% Improved Performance

This week will be the annual IEEE VLSI Symposium, one of the industry’s most important events to publicize and discuss new chip manufacturing techniques.

One of the most anticipated presentations scheduled for this year is from Intel, which is at the show to outline the physical and performance characteristics of its upcoming Intel 4 process, which will be used for products due to launch in 2023.

Intel 4 Process Node represents a critical milestone for Intel as it is the first Intel process to incorporate EUV, and it is the first process to overcome its troublesome 10nm node, making it Intel’s first opportunity to get back on track. to once again achieve fabulous supremacy.

Intel is scheduled to deliver its Intel 4 presentation on Tuesday, in a talk/paper titled “Intel 4 CMOS Technology with Advanced FinFET Transistors Optimized for High-Density, High-Performance Computing.

” But this morning, before the show, they’re releasing the document and all of its relevant figures, giving us a first look at what kind of geometries Intel is achieving, as well as more information on the materials being used.

Formerly known as Intel’s 7nm process, Intel 4 marks the first time Intel has used EUV lithography for its chips. The use of EUV, which is long overdue, promises to allow Intel to get the kind of smaller and smaller features needed for more advanced manufacturing nodes while also allowing Intel to reduce the number of manufacturing steps required. across the current multiple systems.

UVD modeling techniques. Unusually, Intel finds itself as the last of the big three factories to take advantage of EUV: the company passed EUV for the 10nm generation because they didn’t feel it was ready, and then the delays with 10nm and 7nm delayed the point of adoption of Intel EUV. significantly.

As a result, Intel will be able to move forward on the basis of EUV-driven gains, though they will still have to make up for lost time and experience advantage from TSMC.

The development of Intel 4 is also a critical moment for the company as it finally allows them to overcome their troublesome 10nm process. While Intel has managed to do something proper with its 10nm process nodes, especially with its latest 10nm enhanced SuperFin variant, better known as Intel 7, it hasn’t been without a lot of blood, sweat, and years. Intel believes they tried to do too much at once with 10nm, both in terms of scaling and too many new manufacturing techniques, which in turn set them back years as they untangled that mess to find and iterate on what went wrong. So, unsurprisingly, Intel is being a bit less aggressive with its first EUV node, and the company in general has taken a much more modular approach to development going forward, allowing new technologies to be implemented (and, if necessary, , debug) in steps.