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The conference ARM Techcon passed last week and brought a lot of interesting information about the prospects of the same name microarchitecture. In particular, a lot of reports of ARM and TSMC cooperation in the field of development of new production methods, including a 10-nm using FinFET transistors. The Japanese came to the coverage of the events on the other side. In particular, they assessed the prospects of the current 20-nm process technology and came to the conclusion that the chances of it on the market virtually none.
The 20-nm process in the face of production lines TSMC virtually monopolized the company Apple (20 nm, according to ARM, it is the prerogative of high-performance SoC). Samsung Company is losing a significant portion of orders for the production of 20-nm SoC Apple A8, began to force the introduction of a 14-nm process technology with FinFET transistors. Moreover, Samsung company has licensed GlobalFoundries aforesaid process technology and is going to start mass production of 14-nm FinFET semiconductors at the end of the first quarter of 2015.
According to persistent rumors, Apple may transmit 14-nm processors Apple A9 to GlobalFoundries. At the same time it also remains possible to produce SoC A9 at three factories Samsung. In other words, Apple gets a virtually unlimited source of processors supply . In fact, 16 nm and 14 nm process technology - is adapted for the production of FinFET transistors 20 nm process. In any case, it is 100% true for 16FF-process of TSMC (below the slide compares competing process technologies, where the vertical and horizontal dimensions are given a place under lock and step metallization).
In the case of process technology 16FF + Taiwanese contractor approach to the physical dimensions of the transistor parameters and step metallization layers to 14-nm process technology Samsung / GlobalFoundries. Related Products :
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