TSMC's 40nm yields drop to 40%

[randomizer]

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has revealed it recently run into issues with its 40nm process technology impacting yields. Company chairman and CEO Morris Chang pledged the issue will be solved within the quarter.

TSMC said it has seen yield rates for its 40nm node drop to 40% due chamber matching issues. Main customers for TSMC's 40nm processes are GPU vendors AMD, which recently launched its new 40nm-based Radeon 5870 series, and Nvidia, who is scheduled to launch its 40nm-based GT300 series of chips in December, according to previous reports. TSMC's recent issues may impact the shipping schedules of the GPU vendors, market watchers commented.

http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091030PD209.html

As it is particularly relevant to AMD and NVIDIA, I decided to post it here.

 

[EXT64]

Ouch, sounds like we will be having short supply of ATI and NVidia (when they come out) for a while.

 

[randomizer]

As if the current shortages weren't bad enough...

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

If this is happening on a smaller die, imagine the Fermi woes

 

[EXT64]

Yeah, I imagine this really makes NVidia mad, as if they weren't already delayed enough, now being blindsided by something completely out of their control. I have a feeling we won't be seeing much if any price drops until January, even in NVidia does manage to get some cards out in December (and the y perform well).

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

The reasoning is, the 57xxs dont seem to be having supply problems, and I just cant believe the 58xxs are outselling them in large numbers

 

[randomizer]

Well they promised to have it fixed this quarter, so NVIDIA could possibly have some supplies by Q1 2011, but certainly nothing more than review samples this year...

 

[JAYDEEJOHN]

Ive heard rumors that they were being tested in the wild, by a very credible source, so, to me, they are out there, but in verrrry limited usage

 

[randomizer]

Must be Ape with his Weyland-Yutani defences keeping the press away

 

[Harrisson]

AMD is WAY more affected by this, while Nvidia is still working kinks out, so it wont be affected much.

 

[randomizer]

They will be if they want to make this fabled December launch.

 

[astrodudepsu]

Hmm AMD already has cards on the market, they are already making money on 40nm, Nvidia, not so much.

 

[avatar_raq]

Guys I believe this issue is the cause I can't find any 5870 or 5850 in stock in every online retailer I looked in the last 20 days! I started to believe AMD launched these cards before having adequate stock only to piss nvidia and win market share. In the end, both teams don't look so different.

 

[leon2006]

5800 is in short supply....Fry's store in our place has zero inventory in the last 3 weeks. Even the 4890 is zero in the last 4 weeks. Frys normally carry XFX , Diamond in the stores.

TSMC is most likely the bottle neck for these shortages. Nvidia 3B transistor chip for sure has its own issues plus the 40nm monster in TSMC.

Since NVIDIA is entering the HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTE MARKET with Fermi I wonder if NVIDIA will release the ERATA for the chip similar to Intel & AMD. If not NVIDIA will be exposed future legal issues.

 

[randomizer]

They will release errata, everyone does. Errata is not an indication of a failed design, because even the best designs have hundreds of errata. Look at Core 2 for example.