Arm, a semiconductor and software design company, has inaugurated a new facility in Bengaluru, called The Impact Hub, which will focus on semiconductor research and development, including the design of chips at the advanced two-nanometre node. The centre was opened on 16 September in the presence of Rene Haas, CEO of Arm, and Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister for IT & Railways.
The new facility will work on advanced chip design projects at the 2nm technology node. The 2nm technology node represents the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing, advancing beyond the 3nm process. Despite the name, the term “2 nanometre” is largely a marketing designation that indicates a higher degree of miniaturisation. At this node, transistor gate lengths are around 45nm and metal pitches are about 20nm, reflecting the evolution of fabrication standards rather than precise dimensions.
Research at this level has introduced new transistor architectures, most notably the nanosheet or gate-all-around (GAA) transistor pioneered by IBM. Unlike the FinFET structures used in earlier nodes, GAA transistors feature horizontally stacked channels controlled by four gates, providing improved electrical control, density, and efficiency.
Chips manufactured at 2nm scale are expected to deliver up to 45 percent higher performance compared with 7nm chips, while offering around 75 percent lower power consumption. These improvements are significant for energy-intensive applications such as mobile devices, data centres, and artificial intelligence computing platforms, with potential benefits like longer smartphone battery life and reduced power use in large-scale computing.
Production at this level relies on advanced techniques including extreme ultraviolet lithography and precision process control to achieve the necessary consistency in extremely small features. Major semiconductor companies including TSMC, Samsung, and IBM are pursuing 2nm development, with commercial availability anticipated around 2025. Intel has shifted its focus to an 18-angstrom (1.8nm) node.
The 2nm node is expected to support next-generation applications ranging from supercomputers and AI accelerators to consumer electronics, offering higher speed, efficiency, and functionality in future devices.
Arm is a semiconductor and software design company headquartered in Cambridge, United Kingdom. Its technology is widely used in processors that power mobile devices, consumer electronics, and increasingly, applications in data centres and automotive systems.
