Analysis of the core i3-8121u under a microscope reveals the secrets of the 10 nm tri

Intel's new 10nm Tri-Gate manufacturing process is resisting more than expected as it is already more than two years behind schedule with its originally planned launch. The researchers have gutted a Core i3-8121U manufactured with this process, to try to clarify some of its keys.

Intel's 10nm Tri-Gate manufacturing process is very ambitious

Analysis under the microscope of the Core i3-8121U processor has shown that Intel's 10nm Tri-Gate manufacturing process offers an increase in transistor density of up to 2.7 times compared to the current process at 14 nm Tri-Gate. This great advance has allowed integrating no less than 100.8 million transistors per square millimeter, which translates into a quantity of 12.8 billion transistors in a matrix size of only 127 mm².

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This node at 10nm uses the third generation FinFET technology, which is characterized by a reduction in the minimum gate pitch from 70nm to 54nm and a minimum metal pitch from 52nm to 36nm. With these 10 nm, Intel is going to introduce the cobalt metallization in the bulk and anchor layers of the silicon substrate. Cobalt is a good alternative to tungsten and copper as a contact material between layers, due to its lower resistance in smaller sizes.

This is Intel's most ambitious manufacturing process and this would be the main cause of all the problems that it is causing to the company, although it will be of little use so much ambition if they do not manage to reach a sufficient degree of maturity. Hopefully Intel will be able to fine-tune it in order to offer us its best processors.

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