Intel's 3nm-class process technology has met its defect density and performance targets, the company announced this week. The Intel 3 fabrication technology is on track to be used for high-volume manufacturing of Intel's upcoming codenamed Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest processors next year, according to Intel.

"Intel 3 met defect density and performance milestones in Q2, released PDK 1.1, and is on track for overall yield and performance targets," said Pat Gelsinger, chief executive of Intel, at the earnings call with analysts and investors. "We will launch Sierra Forest in the first half of 2024 with Granite Rapids following shortly thereafter, our lead vehicles for Intel 3."

Intel 3 (previously known as 5nm) is the company's 2nd-gen process technology that uses extreme ultraviolet lithography and is generally a refined Intel 4 production node (previously known as 7nm). Compared to Intel 4, Intel 3 promises an 18% higher performance per watt efficiency, denser high-performance library, reduced via resistance, and increased intrinsic drive current.

Intel's 3nm-class node is particularly suitable for data center-grade products that tend to use large monolithic dies and consume a lot of power (so reduced via resistance is a huge benefit). So far, Intel has announced only two processors set to be made on its 3nm-class node — the server-class Granite Rapids and Sierra Forest. Furthermore, the company's Intel Foundry Services division is set to make a custom data center product for a hyperscaler on Intel 3 process technology.

Intel 3 meeting defect density and performance goals is good news for Intel's data center division as it will enable it to offer competitive products in 2024.

Intel does not seem to be planning to use its 3nm-class process technology for client products; at least the company has not announced any so far. At present, the company is ramping up its codenamed Meteor Lake CPU for notebooks and desktops on the Intel 4 process and is gearing up for mass production of its codenamed Arrow Lake CPU on Intel 20A (20 Angstroms, 2nm-class) manufacturing technology in the coming quarters.

"On Intel 20A, our first node using both RibbonFET and PowerVia, Arrow Lake, a volume client product, is currently running its first stepping in the fab," said Gelsinger.