Intel has just revealed recent advancements in relation to its 14nm manufacturing process.
The company's new technology, which it claims will usher in "a wave of innovations in form factors, experiences and systems," has the potential to give computer and mobile manufacturers the capability to create lighter and more energy-efficient devices.
The first product that was manufactured using Intel's 14nm manufacturing process is the Core M chip, which is expected to be unveiled at the Berlin IFA trade show in September. The first device with the processor is expected to be released in the United States later in the year, just in time for the holidays. The 14nm chips, which were manufactured based on the Broadwell design, has a number of advantages. It is small, fanless and more energy-efficient compared to Intel's current Haswell chips. The 14nm process allows Intel to put more transistors in every chip. This results in a speed boost and a drop in active power consumption.
In an interview, Intel executives said that 14nm chips consume less power than Haswell chips. Mark Bohr, a senior fellow at the company's manufacturing group, also said that the 14nm represents a boosts in performance per watt from Haswell chips. The Core M chips more than double the performance per watt of its predecessor.
The 14nm processors also use the second generation of the company's proprietary Tri-gate transistors. The transistors first appeared in 2011 in 22nm processors that were codenamed Ivy Bridge.
"Intel's integrated model - the combination of our design expertise with the best manufacturing process - makes it possible to deliver better performance and lower power to our customers and to consumers," Intel Vice President and general manager of product development Rani Borkar said in a press release. "This new microarchitecture is more than a remarkable technical achievement. It is a demonstration of the importance of our outside-in design philosophy that matches our design to customer requirements."
It is still not clear where the Core M processors will end up. However, 9to5Mac is already predicting that the chip will appear in an upcoming 12-inch Retina MacBook. The Broadwell processor is also rumored to end up in more MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models once it becomes more widely available in early 2015.
