# can someone explain to me what does Lithography means? 45m? 65m?



## theBLACKout

can someone explain to me what does Lithography means? 45m? 65m?


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## bomberboysk

The process used to manufacture a microprocessor on silicon. 45nm uses less power and produces less heat than 65nm, and since its smaller allows more transistors to fit into the same space.


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## Bodaggit23

It's quite literally a "printing" process.


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## 2048Megabytes

NM stands for nanometer.  Nanometers are incredibly small.  There are 1,000,000,000 (one billion) of them in one meter (and ten million in one centimeter).  

The processors that are being manufactured presently are using 45 nanometer technology and smaller.  It's amazing how refined the computer chip technology has become.

The processor I am using in my present system (Athlon 4600+ Dual-Core using older 90 nanometer technology) has close to 153 million  transistors in it.

A transistor is a switch.  It is device composed of semiconductor material that amplifies a signal or opens or closes a circuit.


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## vinnie107

The i7 has around 750 million transistors i believe.


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## tremmor

A method of planographic printing from a metal or stone surface.


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## 2048Megabytes

I just looked up this information.  The Intel i7 processors have 731 million transistors in them.  Phenom II processors have 758 million transistors in them.  

It is mind boggling how many transistors are in modern processors.


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## bomberboysk

2048Megabytes said:


> I just looked up this information.  The Intel i7 processors have 731 million transistors in them.  Phenom II processors have 758 million transistors in them.
> 
> It is mind boggling how many transistors are in modern processors.



Yeah, considering in the computers from the 80's that used a zilog Z-80 with only 8500 trasistors in a 4Mhz Z-80.


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