45nm

45nm refers to a semiconductor manufacturing process node associated with devices produced on silicon at a nominal feature size around 45 nanometers. The term is part of the industry’s progression of process technologies, where each node implies higher transistor density, improved performance, and lower power consumption compared with the preceding generation. In practice, the 45nm designation is a marketing label as well as a technical category, since exact transistor dimensions vary and the node is defined by a combination of process capabilities rather than a single gate length.

Historically, 45nm was a key milestone in the late 2000s, with Intel among the leading adopters. The 45nm family enabled several microarchitectures, including Penryn, Nehalem, and related desktop and server CPUs such as Wolfdale and Yorkfield. Other foundries gradually expanded production on 45nm and prepared for subsequent nodes. The era marked a shift toward more advanced fabrication techniques and materials to sustain performance gains as conventional scaling slowed.

Technological features commonly associated with 45nm include the use of strained silicon, higher-k/metal gate (HKMG) transistor gates, and copper interconnects. Immersion lithography at 193 nm was employed, often in combination with multi-patterning schemes to achieve the required pattern fidelity. These innovations contributed to higher transistor density and lower leakage, but they also introduced manufacturing complexities and cost considerations.

The 45nm node ultimately paved the way for subsequent generations such as 32nm and 28nm. It remains a reference point in discussions of process technology history, illustrating the shift toward more advanced materials, lithography challenges, and architectural innovations that accompanied the late 2000s semiconductor landscape.