Intel Targeting 22nm Chips by 2011

Just after Intel was proud to show off its 32nm wafer for its Westmere processor, the world's largest chipmaker today brought out the first working chips built on the 22nm process.

Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini took to the stage with 22nm test circuits that include both SRAM memory as well as logic circuits to be used in future Intel microprocessors.

"At Intel, Moore's Law is alive and thriving," said Otellini. "We've begun production of the world's first 32nm microprocessor, which is also the first high-performance processor to integrate graphics with the CPU. At the same time, we're already moving ahead with development of our 22nm manufacturing technology and have built working chips that will pave the way for production of still more powerful and more capable processors."

Each individual die from the 22nm wafer contained 364 million bits of SRAM memory and has more than 2.9 billion transistors packed into an area the size of a fingernail.

Intel said that production chips using the 22nm process should be ready for the second half of 2011.

Update: Video of the announcement now embedded below:

Marcus Yam
Marcus Yam served as Tom's Hardware News Director during 2008-2014. He entered tech media in the late 90s and fondly remembers the days when an overclocked Celeron 300A and Voodoo2 SLI comprised a gaming rig with the ultimate street cred.
  • ubernoobie
    Damn, and 32nm isn't even on the mainstream market for cpus
    Reply
  • doomtomb
    Intel is on a roll.
    Reply
  • DoofusOfDeath
    Anyone know when we'll start seeing laptops based on the Intel processors that are being announced tomorrow? (Specifically, Core i7-820QM or Core i7-720QM)
    Reply
  • Shadow703793
    doofusofdeathAnyone know when we'll start seeing laptops based on the Intel processors that are being announced tomorrow? (Specifically, Core i7-820QM or Core i7-720QM)^I'd say around Christmas or earlier.
    Reply
  • By 2011? The article says 2nd half 2011, so that would be by 2012, but we all know how that usually works out, so let's say "around 2012".
    Reply
  • DoofusOfDeath
    @shadow703793: Thanks. Just occurred to me that I should post this on the homepage's questions section, not in this thread.
    Reply
  • zerapio
    2012_or_gtfoBy 2011? The article says 2nd half 2011, so that would be by 2012, but we all know how that usually works out, so let's say "around 2012".Eh? It says 2011 because it IS 2011. All of Intel's die shrinks on its new tick-tock model have been introduced in fall of an odd year. Penryn (2007), Westmere (2009) and Ivy Bridge (2011).
    Reply
  • presidenteody
    I WANT ONE!!!
    Reply
  • zerapio: Read the headline, "by 2011" means sometime late 2010, when the article states the 2nd half of 2011. "By" indicates it will happen "before".
    Reply
  • zerapio
    english_grammar_wizardryzerapio: Read the headline, "by 2011" means sometime late 2010, when the article states the 2nd half of 2011. "By" indicates it will happen "before".Wow, you're serious. Here, read something: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by
    In this article the word 'by' is used as meaning "no later than" or no later than 2011. The year 2011 is not an instant so therefore the second half of 2011 is still considered as 2011.
    Reply