Intel has already announced a 7-nm process for 2021, its first product will be the Ponte Vecchio graphics card designed for use in data centers. The 5nm process after 7nm will be a very important step for Intel, as it will eliminate FinFET transistors for GAA transistors in this node.
Intel expects to release its first 5nm GAA chips in 2023
Intel first used FinFET transistors (3D transistors) with the 22 nm process node. FinFET transistors have been extremely cost-effective for Intel and industry in general, but as nodes become progressively smaller, their design becomes obsolete where GAA transistors are used.
Intel has already mentioned that the 5nm process is under development, but has not yet released any details. The latest news is that their 5nm process will evolve from FinFET transistors to GAA wide gate transistors.
GAA transistors also have a wide range of technical possibilities, having already mentioned that their GAA process can improve performance by 3%, reduce power consumption by 50% and reduce chip area by 45%, but this is a comparison with their 7nm process and are preliminary data.
Given Intel’s strength in process technology, the improvement in its GAA process performance should be more significant.
As far as the 5nm process is concerned, there is no clear timetable, but Intel has already mentioned that the 7nm process cycle will return to the update rate of the last two years, i.e. as soon as 2023 Intel’s 5nm process will already be implemented on its chips. We will keep you up to date.