16nm

16nm is a semiconductor manufacturing process node name used for a generation of integrated circuit fabrication in the mid-2010s. Like other process nodes, the 16nm label is largely a marketing and generation designation rather than a single fixed physical dimension. Actual feature sizes and performance depend on the supplier, design rules, and the transistor architecture used.

Most 16nm implementations employed FinFET transistors, which use raised silicon fins to form multiple channels per transistor. This architecture improves drive current and reduces leakage compared with earlier planar processes. The 16nm family typically relied on advanced patterning on 300mm wafers and aimed for higher transistor density and better power efficiency, with applications in mobile processors, memory, and other integrated circuits.

Industry usage and context: Samsung and other foundries marketed 16nm solutions as a transitional step between older and newer generations, bridging technologies from roughly the 20nm/28nm era toward 14nm and 10nm families that followed. Because node naming is not standardized across vendors, performance, density, and power characteristics can vary between implementations branded as 16nm.

In summary, 16nm refers to a mid-2010s process-generation label for FinFET-based fabrication, representing a phase in the industry’s gradual scaling rather than a precise physical size. The designation has largely been superseded by more specific process identifiers as manufacturers continue to refine lithography, transistor architecture, and integration.