Samsung Announces Milestone in Development of 14nm
Nanometer processes are used to manufacture chips found in computational hardware.
Samsung has announced a milestone in its development of 14nm process technology for semiconductor manufacturing.
The South Korean technology giant also confirmed that it's signed an agreement with ARM to share 14nm physical IP and libraries.
The company has achieved a "successful tape out of multiple development vehicles" for its 14nm process, with the company now collaborating with "key design and IP partners" such as ARM to contribute towards the development of 14nm process technology.
It's the successor to current 22nm processes utilized to manufacture chips found in PCs, servers, mobile devices, embedded systems and other computational hardware.
Samsung said that achieving the 14nm process node would result in major advantages for future-generation System-on-a-Chip (SoC) devices used in smartphones, tablets and other consumer electronics products.
"As we move closer to true mobile computing, chip designers are eager to take advantage of the gains in performance and significantly lower power of 14nm FinFET to deliver PC-like user experience in a mobile device," said Samsung senior vice president Kyumyung Choi.
"The design complexities of 14nm require complete harmony between the process technology, design methodology, tools, and IPs. We are synchronizing all the key elements so our customers can deliver their newest chips to market quickly and efficiently."
Samsung currently manufactures ARM-based application processors for its own Android-powered smartphones and tablets. It also provides them to Apple for the iPhone and iPad.
The company, which last month unveiled a new storage chip for smartphones that would subsequently make them thinner and faster, was recently given the green light for its $3.9 billion investment in the firm's Austin chip production plant.
Not just some trendy Wanna Be.
Intel kept some technology advantage in fabrication process and neither TSMC, GF (AMD...) could compete...
It is good to know that Samsung can keep competition in this nm node race...
Intel is already building the fabs for 14nm - Fab 42 in Arizona. It should be operational some time next year.
Intel is already looking beyond 14nm, their 14nm was off the drawing boards and tested in 2011. Their now going into production in 2013.
So have to keep my fingers grossed on this!
Intel and Samsung trying to take over the mobile world.
http://www.electronicsweekly.com/blogs/david-manners-semiconductor-blog/2012/10/intel-has-no-process-advantage.html
Some choice quotes:
The important thing is that the foundries' process roadmap is on track to intersect Intel's at 14nm.
...
In fact, GF's 14nm process may have smaller features than Intel's 14nm
...
Jean-Marc Chery, CTO of STMicroelectronics points out that the drawn gate length on Intel's ˜22nm" process is actually 26nm.
...
and the fitting conclusion of the article:
And so on goes Intel beating its head against the wall to get into the low-margin mobile business.
Recently Intel said it expected its Q4 gross margin to drop 6% from Q3's 63% to 57%. Shock, horror said the analysts
But if Intel succeeds in the mobile business, its gross margin will drop a lot more than that.
Interesting and exciting, to say the least.