2 nm process

Semiconductor device fabrication
MOSFET scaling (process nodes)
010 µm – 1971 006 µm – 1974 003 µm – 1977  1.5 µm – 1981 001 µm – 1984 800 nm – 1987 600 nm – 1990 350 nm – 1993 250 nm – 1996 180 nm – 1999 130 nm – 2001 090 nm – 2003 065 nm – 2005 045 nm – 2007 032 nm – 2009 022 nm – 2012 014 nm – 2014 010 nm – 2016 007 nm – 2018 005 nm – 2020
Future 003 nm ~ 2022 002 nm ~ 2024
Half-nodes Density CMOS Device (multi-gate) Moore's law Semiconductor Industry Nanoelectronics
v t

In semiconductor manufacturing, the 2 nm process is the next MOSFET (metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor) die shrink after the 3 nm process node. As of 2021, TSMC and Intel both plan to enter 2 nm production in 2024.^[1]

Background[]

In late 2018, TSMC chairman Mark Liu predicted chip scaling would continue to 3 nm and 2 nm nodes;^[2] however, as of 2019, other semiconductor specialists were undecided as to whether nodes beyond 3 nm could become viable.^[3]

TSMC began research on 2 nm in 2019.^[4] TSMC expected to transition from FinFET to GAAFET transistor types when moving from 3nm to 2nm.^[5] As of July 2021, TSMC expects to enter 2 nm production in 2024.^[1]

Intel's 2019 roadmap scheduled potentially equivalent 3 nm and 2 nm nodes for 2025 and 2027 respectively.^[6] In December 2019, Intel announced plans for 1.4 nm production in 2029.^[6]

In August 2020, TSMC began building a R&D lab for 2 nm technology in Hsinchu, expected to become partially operational by 2021.^[7] In September 2020 (SEMICON Taiwan 2020) it was reported that TSMC Chairman Mark Liu had stated the company would build a plant for the 2 nm node at Hsinchu in Taiwan, and that it could also install production at Taichung dependent on demand.^[8]

At the end of 2020, seventeen European Union countries signed a joint declaration to develop their entire semiconductor industry, including developing process nodes as small as 2 nm, as well as designing and manufacturing custom processors, assigning up to 145 billion euro in funds.^[9][10]

In May 2021, IBM announced it had produced 2 nm class transistor using three silicon layer nanosheets with a gate length of 12nm.^[11][12][13]

In July 2021, Intel unveiled its process node roadmap from 2021 onwards. The company confirmed their 2 nm process node called Intel 20A, with the "A" referring to angstrom, a unit equivalent to 0.1 nanometer.^[14] Their new naming scheme aligned their product names to similar designations from their main competitors.^[15] Intel's 20A node is projected to be their first to move from FinFET to Gate-All-Round transistors (GAAFET); Intel's version is named 'RibbonFET'.^[15] Their 2021 roadmap scheduled the Intel 20A node for introduction in 2024.^[15]

Beyond 2 nm[]

Intel have planned 18A (equivalent to 1.8 nm) products for 2025.^[14]

Notes[]

References[]

Further reading[]

• Merritt, Rick (26 Mar 2018), "2nm: End of the Road ?", www.eetasia.com