Advanced Micro Devices today started shipping samples of its upcoming 45-nanometer processors to computer manufacturers and vendors. The move says it all: the chip manufacturer is ready to start mass production in the second half of the year, just as the company promised.

The company will initially launch two of its quad-core offerings as well as the "Shaghai" server processor, accompanied by a desktop counterpart, the Deneb. While the current CPU offerings from the chip manufacturer are produced at the older 65-nanometer node, the upcoming processor will meet the 45-nanometer manufacturing process, that is currently present in Intel's "Penryn" product line.

The new chips from Advanced Micro Devices are built using a new technology process called "immersion lithography", that allows engineers to create the layout of the chip in a single step instead of the conventional 2-step process. According to Bill En, manager of logic technology development at AMD, the pattern on chips maps the location of transistors, as well as the microscopic wires that join them together.

Immersion lithography is a more advanced process that is 40% more efficient than conventional lithography, thus it will lower the production costs for the new processors. "That's the expectation," En said. "If it costs us less to make it, then it will be better for our customers."

The latest processors from AMD will be built with more powerful transistors joined with insulated wires produced with ultra-low-K dielectrics. This new material will waste less energy, and will result in cooler and more efficient chips. The first results show that the chips are 15 percent more energy-efficient when compared to the 65-nanometer technology.

However, AMD has lost momentum when it comes to the 45-nanometer technology. The world's biggest supplier of x86 chips has long since started shipping its 45-nanometer parts, and is now gearing up for mobile quad-core offensive. However, today's launch is a big step for the company, but we'll wait to see the first 45-nanometer chips roll on the market before jumping to conclusions.