3D Transistors (FinFET)
Silicon goes 3D to save Moore's Law.
As transistors shrank toward the atomic level, they began leaking electrons, threatening to break Moore's Law. Intel released the "Ivy Bridge" microarchitecture featuring 22-nanometer "Tri-Gate" (FinFET) transistors, shifting from flat 2D designs to 3D vertical fins to maintain control of the electrical current.
Open in interactive timeline →Key Numbers
- Transistors (2000)
- 42 Million
- Transistors (2012 Ivy Bridge)
- 1.4 Billion
Verified Facts
- Before 2012, all computer chips used flat, planar transistors. As they got smaller than 22nm, they became too small to effectively trap electrons, causing massive heat and power loss.
- By turning the silicon channel into a 3D "fin," engineers increased the surface area for the gate to control the current, allowing transistors to continue shrinking toward the single-digit nanometer scale.
- The flagship Ivy Bridge desktop processors packed roughly 1.4 Billion transistors, acting as the critical bridge between the millions of transistors in the 2000s and the hundreds of billions today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was 3D Transistors (FinFET)?
As transistors shrank toward the atomic level, they began leaking electrons, threatening to break Moore's Law. Intel released the "Ivy Bridge" microarchitecture featuring 22-nanometer "Tri-Gate" (FinFET) transistors, shifting from flat 2D designs to 3D vertical fins to maintain control of the electrical current.
When did 3D Transistors (FinFET) happen?
3D Transistors (FinFET): April 2012 CE.
Why does 3D Transistors (FinFET) matter?
Silicon goes 3D to save Moore's Law.
Sources & Further Reading
Cite This Page
AskHistoryAI. “3D Transistors (FinFET).” AskHistoryAI — Interactive Timeline of Everything. Updated 2026-09-11. https://askhistoryai.com/event/tech-finfet/
Every fact on this page is checked against the published fact ledger and methodology; sources are listed above.