Intel Stops Talking About Nanometers, Starts Talking About RibbonFET, PowerVia

The nanometer scale has been a core part of processor specs for decades. We're all used to hearing Intel talk about 14nm and 10nm chips, but not for much longer. Intel is moving away from the nanometer and introducing a new naming structure for process nodes.

Forget about chips being referred to as using "10nm SuperFin" and get used to hearing about Intel 7, Intel 4, Intel 3, and eventually Intel 20A chips instead. Intel believes the name change offers "a clear and consistent framework to give customers a more accurate view of process nodes across the industry." In reality, it will likely have us all asking the question "how many nanometers is that Intel 7 chip?"

The new naming scheme breaks down as follows:

• Intel 7—up to 15% performance-per-watt improvement versus 10nm SuperFin.

• Intel 4—up to 20% performance-per-watt improvement versus Intel 7.

• Intel 3—up to 18% performance-per-watt improvement versus Intel 4.

Intel 7 will be used in Alder Lake processors this year and Sapphire Rapids data center processors in 2022. Intel 4 processors won't ship until 2023, but are significant because they will be the first to use High Numerical Aperture (High NA) extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV). In fact, Intel claims it will be the first to use a High NA EUV production tool.

Expect Meteor Lake processors to use Intel 4. Then we have Intel 3, which is a further optimization on Intel 4 and the final optimization of the FinFET transistor architecture. Expect Intel 3 processors by the end of 2023.

After Intel 3 is when things get really interesting for Intel because Intel 20A arrives in 2024. FinFET is set to be replaced with a brand new transistor architecture called RibbonFET as well as a backside power delivery system called PowerVia. As the video above explains, RibbonFET is a "gate-all-around transistor," and it uses ribbon-shaped channels surrounded by the gate allowing for more control, faster transistor switching speeds, and therefore higher performance in a smaller footprint. RibbonFET is a big deal seeing as the company has been relying on improving FinFET since it was first introduced in 2011.

Intel says PowerVia solves one of the biggest problems in computing today: "interconnect bottlenecks." PowerVia flips the traditional design of placing the power wires on top of the transistor and puts them underneath instead. This is a more efficient method of handling power delivery directly into a transistor while allowing more space on top of the transistor for signal routing. By making this change, Intel can take advantage of a frequency boost and reduced power leakage.

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This redesign was made possible by using a new Nano Through-Silicon Via (TSV) to connect the power and transistor layers, which is 500x times smaller than today's TSVs. Intel 20A is also the first process node where Intel will "partner with Qualcomm," which will see Qualcomm products built using 20A. Beyond Intel 20A is Intel 18A, which Intel says will arrive in early 2025. With two breakthrough pieces of technology introduced for Intel 20A, it's understandable that 18A will focus on refining RibbonFET, so hopefully we see another double-digit performance-per-watt improvement versus 20A.

Of course, this all sounds fantastic on paper, but Intel is promising some major performance gains over the next four years involving a brand new transistor architecture and power delivery system. Intel sticking to this timeline will be as impressive as the chips themselves, if it happens.

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