7nm engraving is coming in earnest with big promises

For the current family Alder Lake (Intel Core 12th generation) and the next Raptor Lake (Intel Core 13th generation) to be launched at the end of the year, Intel exploits its technology Intel 7 constituting a 10 nm engraving with Enhanced SuperFin transistor technology.

For the next family expected in 2023 and baptized Meteor Lake (Intel Core 14th generation), the firm will switch to the technology Intel 4 which will make it possible to use for the first time a 7 nm engraving.

Promised for several years, it has experienced a slight delay but it is reaching its point of completion. According to the website Digitimesit would be ready for mass production during the second half of 2022.

The use of EUV lithography will make it possible to almost double the density of transistors and provide 20% more performance at the same power, or reduce energy consumption by 40% at the same frequency compared to Intel 7.

A smooth strategy…so far

The progression will therefore be significant and the step is important in a semiconductor strategy strongly reinforced with CEO Pat Gelsinger while other areas are left aside.

Intel 4 would therefore be available for the next two generations of Meteor Lake and Arrow Lake processors, which should extend over 2023 and 2024, before a switch to “the Angstrom era” represented by Intel 20A and Intel 18A.

In addition to refined engraving, Meteor Lake will inaugurate a chiplet architecture with tiles linked together and the use of Foveros 3D packaging, which will allow the integration of an integrated GPU engraved in 3 nm (presumably at TSMC).

Directly after Intel 4 would come the technique Intel3 which will still be 7nm engraving but optimized to improve performance by 18% over Intel 4.