IBM Unveils the First Sub-1-Nanometer Chip — Computing Enters the Angstrom Era
IBM unveiled the first sub-1-nanometer chip technology — a 0.7nm "NanoStack" node with nearly 100 billion transistors, +50% performance and −70% energy vs its 2nm chip.
TL;DR — IBM unveiled what it calls the world’s first sub-1-nanometer chip technology — a 0.7 nm ("7 angstrom") "NanoStack" node packing nearly 100 billion transistors, with up to 50% more performance and 70% better energy efficiency than its 2 nm chip; production is targeted within five years.
The relentless shrinking of the transistor just crossed a symbolic line. On June 25, 2026, IBM unveiled what it calls the first sub-1-nanometer chip technology.
The breakthrough
IBM unveiled "NanoStack," which it calls the world’s first sub-1-nanometer chip technology — a 0.7 nm (7 angstrom) node packing nearly 100 billion transistors on a fingernail-sized chip, roughly twice the transistor density of IBM’s 2021 2 nm chip. It promises up to 50% more performance and 70% greater energy efficiency versus 2 nm, plus a 40% SRAM scaling gain. IBM expects production "within the next five years."
| Metric | IBM 2 nm (2021) | IBM NanoStack (2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Node | 2 nm | 0.7 nm (7 Å) |
| Transistors | ~50B-class | ~100B |
| Performance | baseline | +50% |
| Energy efficiency | baseline | +70% |
What they said
"We’re not just making smaller transistors, we’re reinventing how chips are built to deliver dramatically more power and energy efficiency." — Jay Gambetta, Director, IBM Research
Why it matters
- Moore’s Law gets a reprieve. 3D-stacked, atom-scale transistors extend density gains many thought were ending.
- Efficiency is the prize. A 70% efficiency jump matters most for power-hungry AI data centers.
- A research milestone, not a product yet. Commercial chips are still about five years out.
FAQ
What is IBM’s NanoStack chip?
IBM’s NanoStack is what the company calls the world’s first sub-1-nanometer chip technology — a 0.7 nm (7 angstrom) node with nearly 100 billion transistors, offering up to 50% more performance and 70% better energy efficiency than its 2 nm chip.
When will sub-1nm chips be available?
IBM described NanoStack as a research breakthrough and said it expects production "within the next five years," so commercial products are not imminent.
Sources
- IBM Newsroom — world’s first sub-1-nanometer chip technology
- MIT Technology Review — IBM unveils sub-1nm chip
Image: Silicon wafer by Inductiveload — Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
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