what does process geometry mean?

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what does process geometry mean?

from ARM DDI 01001, there is a term: process geometry, does it mean the chip size?

Caches and write buffers to improve average system performance are now commonplace in ARM® memory systems. Core clock rates have increased at a faster rate than memory access times over recent years. This factor, and smaller process geometries, the economics of on-chip memory, and system power constraints have encouraged the use of caches to meet growing system demands.

thanks.

+1 A:

It refers to the size of the "wires" in a processor (or memory) such as "35 micron". The term "process" refers to how the chips (processor) is fabricated and not the process-or :-) So, for a given layout, a processor with a smaller process geometry will be smaller. However, if the processor is changed (e.g. more cache or processing unit are added) then the processor die size may actually increase. Smaller process geometries usually imply less power consumption as well.

pst 2010-04-06 05:53:27

thanks for your clarification between process geometry and die size.

wenlujon 2010-04-06 07:27:44

I would add that leakage currents across transistors increase with a decrease in process geometry for a given clock speed. This means the IC will consume more power, in general, even in sleep states. For that reason, smaller process geometry often also means slower clock.

Eric 2010-10-19 15:58:06

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what does process geometry mean?

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