What Is 14 nm

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Last updated: April 14, 2026

Quick Answer: 14 nm refers to a semiconductor manufacturing process node, introduced around 2014, where the '14' stands for 14 nanometers—the approximate size of transistor features. Intel first mass-produced 14 nm chips in 2014 with its Broadwell processors. This node brought significant improvements in power efficiency and transistor density over the previous 22 nm process. It remained in use for nearly a decade due to refinements and cost-effectiveness.

Key Facts

Intel launched its first 14 nm processors in 2014 with the Broadwell microarchitecture
The 14 nm process reduced transistor gate pitch to approximately 70 nm
Intel's 14 nm node achieved a transistor density of about 37.5 million transistors per mm²
Samsung and TSMC also developed 14 nm-class processes around 2015
Intel extended the 14 nm node through multiple generations, including Skylake to Coffee Lake
14 nm technology enabled up to 35% better performance or 50% lower power consumption vs. 22 nm
The node remained in production until as late as 2021 due to process maturity and yield improvements

Overview

The 14 nm process node is a semiconductor fabrication technology used to manufacture integrated circuits, particularly microprocessors and system-on-chips (SoCs). The term '14 nm' refers to the average size of the smallest features on a transistor, such as the gate length, although in modern nodes this number is more of a marketing designation than a direct physical measurement. Introduced in the mid-2010s, the 14 nm process represented a significant leap from the previous 22 nm node, enabling higher transistor densities, improved energy efficiency, and better overall performance.

The development of 14 nm technology was pioneered primarily by Intel, which first introduced it with its Broadwell microarchitecture in 2014. This marked the fifth generation of Intel’s Core processors and was a major milestone in the continuation of Moore’s Law, which predicts the doubling of transistors on a chip approximately every two years. Despite challenges in scaling, Intel managed to refine the 14 nm process over several years, releasing multiple generations of CPUs based on this node, including Skylake, Kaby Lake, and Coffee Lake.

The significance of the 14 nm process lies in its balance of performance, power efficiency, and manufacturability. While smaller nodes like 10 nm and 7 nm have since emerged, the 14 nm node remained in widespread use due to its high yield rates and cost-effectiveness. Other foundries, including TSMC and Samsung, also developed their own 14 nm-class processes, which were used to produce chips for companies like AMD and Qualcomm, further solidifying its role in the semiconductor industry.

How It Works

The 14 nm fabrication process involves advanced lithography and transistor design techniques to pack billions of transistors onto a silicon die. At this scale, traditional planar transistors were replaced with FinFET (Fin Field-Effect Transistor) designs, which improve control over current flow and reduce leakage. These 3D transistors rise vertically from the silicon substrate, allowing for better switching performance and lower power consumption, which are critical for mobile and high-performance computing applications.

FinFET Architecture: FinFETs use a fin-like structure to increase the surface area of the gate, improving control over the channel. This design reduces leakage current and allows for faster switching at lower voltages.
Lithography: The 14 nm node initially relied on deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography with immersion techniques and multiple patterning to achieve feature sizes below the wavelength of light used.
Transistor Density: Intel’s 14 nm process achieved a density of approximately 37.5 million transistors per square millimeter, a significant increase over the 22 nm node’s ~18.5 million per mm².
Gate Pitch: The gate pitch was reduced to about 70 nm, allowing more transistors to be packed into the same area while maintaining thermal and electrical performance.
Interconnect Scaling: The process used copper interconnects with low-k dielectric materials to reduce resistance and capacitance, improving signal speed and reducing power loss.
Strain Engineering: Techniques such as stress memorization and silicon-germanium (SiGe) source/drain regions were used to enhance carrier mobility and boost transistor performance.

Key Details and Comparisons

Feature	22 nm	14 nm	10 nm	7 nm
First Introduced	2011 (Intel)	2014 (Intel)	2017 (Intel)	2018 (TSMC)
Transistor Density (MTr/mm²)	~18.5	~37.5	~100	~90–100
Performance Gain vs. Prior Node	—	~35%	~25%	~15–20%
Power Efficiency Improvement	—	~50%	~35%	~30%
Key Foundries	Intel, TSMC	Intel, Samsung, TSMC	Intel, TSMC	TSMC, Samsung

The comparison above illustrates how the 14 nm node served as a pivotal advancement in semiconductor scaling. Compared to the 22 nm process, the 14 nm node nearly doubled transistor density and delivered significant gains in both performance and power efficiency. While the jump from 14 nm to 10 nm was more challenging—especially for Intel, which faced delays—the 14 nm node remained highly competitive due to continuous optimization. Samsung and TSMC’s 14 nm-class processes, though not identical to Intel’s, enabled AMD to launch its Ryzen CPUs and Polaris GPUs, demonstrating the node’s broad industry impact.

Real-World Examples

The 14 nm process powered a wide range of consumer and enterprise devices. Intel used it across multiple generations of desktop, laptop, and server processors, including the Core i7-6700K (Skylake) and Xeon E5-2699V3. These chips delivered improved multi-threaded performance and integrated graphics capabilities, making them ideal for gaming, content creation, and data center workloads. Additionally, mobile variants like the Core M series enabled fanless ultrabooks with long battery life, showcasing the node’s versatility.

Outside of Intel, Samsung’s 14 nm FinFET process was used to manufacture Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 835 SoC, which powered flagship smartphones like the Google Pixel 2 and Samsung Galaxy S8. This chip offered high-performance computing and efficient power usage, critical for mobile devices. Similarly, AMD leveraged GlobalFoundries’ 14 nm process (a licensed version of Samsung’s) for its Ryzen CPUs and Vega GPUs, revitalizing its position in the CPU market after years of lagging behind Intel.

Intel Core i7-6700K (Skylake, 14 nm)
AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (Zen, 14 nm)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (14 nm LPP)
Samsung Exynos 9810 (14 nm)

Why It Matters

The 14 nm process was a cornerstone of semiconductor innovation in the 2010s, enabling faster, more efficient, and more compact electronic devices. Its prolonged use across multiple product generations underscores its reliability and scalability, even as the industry pushed toward smaller nodes. The advancements made during this era laid the groundwork for future technologies, including AI accelerators, 5G modems, and high-performance computing.

Impact: Enabled the production of thinner, lighter laptops with longer battery life and higher performance.
Impact: Allowed mobile SoCs to integrate powerful CPU and GPU cores while maintaining thermal efficiency.
Impact: Helped AMD regain market share with competitive Ryzen processors built on 14 nm.
Impact: Reduced manufacturing costs per transistor, extending Moore’s Law despite physical scaling challenges.
Impact: Provided a stable platform for data centers to deploy energy-efficient server processors at scale.

In summary, the 14 nm node was more than just a stepping stone—it was a workhorse technology that powered a generation of computing devices. Its success demonstrated that process refinement and architectural innovation could compensate for the slowing pace of Moore’s Law. Even as the industry moves toward 5 nm and 3 nm nodes, the legacy of 14 nm remains evident in the performance and efficiency standards it helped establish.