process node
/ˈprɒses noʊd/
a generation of chip manufacturing technology, historically named for its smallest feature size in nanometers
process node in a sentence
“TSMC's 3nm node delivers a 15% speed improvement over the prior generation.”
Origin of process node
Latin processus going forward + node from nodus knot
Related Words
yield
the percentage of functional dies on a wafer; a key measure of manufacturing efficiency and profitability
tape-out
the final step of chip design, when the completed layout is sent to a foundry for manufacturing
foundry
a semiconductor manufacturing facility that fabricates chips designed by other companies
fabless
describing a chip company that designs semiconductors but outsources all manufacturing to a foundry
Moore's Law
the observation that the number of transistors on a chip doubles approximately every two years, driving decades of computing progress
SoC
System on a Chip; an integrated circuit that combines all components of a computer—CPU, GPU, memory controller, and I/O—onto a single die