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Moore’s Law Inspires Intel Innovation

Bold forecast drives groundbreaking new technologies and more power-efficient processors

Intel co-founder Gordon Moore is a visionary.

His bold prediction, popularly known as Moore's Law, states that the number of transistors on a chip will double approximately every two years.

Intel, which has maintained this pace for decades, uses this golden rule as both a guiding principle and a springboard for technological advancement, driving the expansion of functions on a chip at a lower cost per function and lower power per transistor, by shrinking feature sizes while introducing new materials and transistor structures. The announcement of the historic Intel® 22nm 3-D tri-gate transistor technology assures us that the promise of Moore’s Law will continue to be fulfilled.

3d tri-gate transistor

Intel continues semiconductor innovation

Intel leads the semiconductor industry by delivering:

  • The world’s first 3-D tri-gate transistor, mass produced on the 22 nm process, in 2011
  • A new processor generation every two years
  • A worldwide silicon fab network, with five fabs for 22 nm production completed in 2012
  • Revolutionary technologies on a chip, like strained silicon and hafnium-based gate-last high-k metal gate (HKMG)
  • A highly coordinated internal R&D manufacturing pipeline for introduction of new technologies.

Intel has many more radical innovations in its research pipeline.

finger holding a computer chip

What Moore’s Law means to you

Moore’s Law is the foundation for exciting new technological capabilities and improved energy efficiency. While Moore’s Law is the fundamental driver of the semiconductor industry, what’s even more important is what it delivers to the end user.

Advances in process technology and reductions in cost make computing devices accessible to an ever-increasing number of people worldwide, empowering innovations across the computing continuum—from the smallest handheld devices to the largest cloud-based servers.

metro city scene

Progress that improves everything around you

Ongoing improvements enable the integration of more transistors on each chip to boost productivity and performance while cutting the cost per transistor—inspiring smarter, more adaptive technologies that optimize function integration at greater speeds while reducing energy consumption.

The evidence of Moore’s Law is everywhere, embedded in devices millions of people use every day, such as personal computers and laptops, mobile phones, and common household appliances and consumer electronics—as well as inspiring, important technological innovations in automobiles, life-saving medical devices, and spacecraft.

Moore's Law

Fun facts

How small is 22 nm?

Download the PDF >

Learn more

History of transistors >

Microarchitecture innovation >

Next generation 14 nm technologies >

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