As the world’s leading semiconductor company Intel is always spearheading the development of new manufacturing processors and already this year we expect the first 32nm processors in the form of Clarkdale and Arrandale. As among others TSMC have been bragging about its coming 28nm plans, a technology both AMD and NVIDIA will use, Intel hasn’t mentioned it. Now that new information on Intel’s future plans has been posted, it looks like Intel will simply skip 28nm and go directly to 22nm.
Intel has chosen to skip the half-node processes 28nm and 18nm for its processors, unlike AMD and NVIDIA who are targeting 40nm for its graphics circuits before moving on to 32nm. Graphics circuits consist of considerably more logic and have more to gain from a smaller node, considering power consumption and heat development.
Paul Otellini and 32nm wafer
Intel will launch its new microarchitecture Sandy Bridge in 2010 and like shrinking Nehalem to Westmere (45nm->32nm), Sandy Bridge will be shrunk to 22nm (from 32nm) in 2011, and be dubbed Ivy Bridge. We can expect processors with both four and eight cores based on Ivy Bridge that in 2012 will be replaced by a new 22nm architecture.
Whether Intel will succeed in keeping its plans and whether the tick tock strategy can be applied to Larrabee is another question. It could pose a problem if you consider production costs, but since Larrabee hasn’t even been launched yet there is little reason to worry yet.
No active posts found.