Definition
A process node is the name given to a particular generation of semiconductor manufacturing technology, expressed in nanometers, for example 7 nm, 5 nm, or 3 nm. Historically the number tracked a physical feature size such as transistor gate length. Since roughly the late 1990s, however, node names have become marketing labels: a feature on a "5 nm" chip is not literally five nanometers across. Smaller-numbered nodes still broadly indicate denser, more efficient transistors.
Why the node drives mining efficiency
For Bitcoin mining, the process node is one of the strongest predictors of a chip's energy efficiency, measured in joules per terahash. Advancing to a newer node lets a designer pack more hashing logic into the same die area while lowering the energy each computation consumes. The leap from older nodes to TSMC's 5 nm class, used by chips like Bitmain's BM1370, delivered roughly a doubling of efficiency over the prior generation.
A moving, marketed target
Because node labels no longer map to a single measurable dimension, comparing nodes across different foundries requires looking at transistor density and real-world power and performance rather than the headline number alone.
A chip is committed to a specific node at tape-out, and the choice of node directly shapes semiconductor yield and cost per chip.
See node progression across miners in the ASIC release timeline.
In Simple Terms
A process node is the name given to a particular generation of semiconductor manufacturing technology, expressed in nanometers, for example 7 nm, 5 nm, or…