Media and Consulting firm UBM TechInsights says it was able to obtain a sample of Intel's 22 nm Ivy Bridge processor ahead of the CPU's official launch.
The company deconstructed the chip and performed a structural analysis that is planned to be released in two parts on May 4 and May 18. Some images have been released by EETimes, which is also part of UBM.
According to TechInsights, the 3.3 GHz Core i5-3550 was packaged in Malaysia and has a die size of 170 mm2, which is down from 208 mm2 for a comparable Sandy Bridge processor. The company analyzed the processor using electron microscopy as well as "x-ray techniques" and spreading resistance profiling and said it discovered 90 nm gate pitches in the embedded SRAM, but also 22 nm gate lengths in the logic areas.
A published picture confirms Intel's 22 nm tri-gate 3D transistors.
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Douglas Perry was a freelance writer for Tom's Hardware covering semiconductors, storage technology, quantum computing, and processor power delivery. He has authored several books and is currently an editor for The Oregonian/OregonLive.
