Tag: tsmc

Samsung to Reportedly Begin Mass Production of 3nm Chips in a Bid to Surpass TSMC

Samsung is anticipated to announce the beginning of the mass production of 3nm chips next week. In doing so, the company will surpass TSMC, whose 3nm chip production is anticipated to start in the second half of this year.

According to a news report from GSM Arena citing Yonhap News, in comparison to its 5nm process, Samsung‘s 3nm node will result in a 35 percent reduction in area, a 30 percent increase in performance, or a 50 percent reduction in power consumption (which was used for the Snapdragon 888 and Exynos 2100).

By switching to a Gate-All-Around (GAA) design for transistors, this will be accomplished. The foundry can shrink transistors without affecting their ability to carry current, which is the next step after FinFET. The MBCFET flavor is the GAAFET design used in the 3nm node.

Last month, US Vice President Joe Biden paid a visit to the Samsung facility in Pyeongtaek to see a demonstration of the company’s 3nm technology. There were rumours that the company might spend $10 billion (nearly Rs. 78,000 crore) to construct a 3nm foundry in Texas last year. The plant is reportedly anticipated to start operating in 2024, with an investment that has grown to $17 billion (nearly Rs. 1,32,000 crore).

The yield of Samsung’s 3nm process is “approaching a similar level to the 4nm process,” the company said in October of last year. Analysts believe that Samsung’s 4nm node had severe yield problems even though the company never provided official statistics.

A MBCFET based 2nm node is also included in the company’s roadmap for 2023, along with a second-generation 3nm node in 2025.

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TSMC’s 3nm SoCs to Debut in 2023, 2nm Chips Production to Begin 2025

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has announced that its chips manufactured on 3nm fabrication process will be coming in 2023, and the ones made with 2nm process will debut in 2025. At the TSMC 2022 Technology Symposium, the chipmaker also announced a new technology, FinFlex, that it will use to make the N3 and N3E chipsets. The technology is said to provide manufacturers the versatility to offer high performance, lower power consumption, and maximum transistor density based on three-fin configuration options.

As per the announcement made at the symposium, the chipsets made by N3 technology, or 3nm manufacturing process, will go into volume production later in 2022. The 3nm node will debut in five tiers: N3, N3E (Enhanced), N3P (Performance Enhanced), N3S (Density Enhanced), and N3X (Ultra High Performance). The N3 chips will use FinFlex architectural technology and will be offered in three configuration options: 3-2 fin, 2-2 fin, and 2-1 fin.

N3 performance and power efficiency configuration comparison with N5
Photo Credit: TSMC

“Before TSMC N3 and FinFlex, chip designers often had to make difficult choices between speed, power consumption, and chip density,” the company said. The new methodology is said to “enable full optimisation of the N3 design library” resulting in high performance, efficient computing, and maximising transistor density.

The 3-2 fin configuration is for those who want highest performance, the 2-2 fin configuration offers a balance between performance, power efficiency, and density. Lastly, the 2-1 fin configuration is for those who want great power efficiency and highest density.

Coming to N2 technology; the chipsets manufactured by the 2nm fabrication process are scheduled to go into production in 2025. These SoCs will be even more powerful and efficient than the 3nm ones. As per the TSMC, 2nm chips will offer 10-15 percent speed improvement at the same power, or 25-30 percent power reduction at the same speed. The technology will feature nanosheet transistor architecture “to deliver a full-node improvement in performance and power efficiency.” N2 is scheduled to begin production in 2025.

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iPhone 14 Pro Models to Have A16 Bionic Chip Based on Existing 5nm Process Tech: Ming-Chi Kuo

Apple iPhone 14 Pro models will come with the A16 Bionic chip that will be based on TSMC’s existing 5nm process technology, an analyst has predicted based on the roadmap released by the Taiwanese chipmaker. The fab process of the A16 Bionic chip is believed to be the same that is used for manufacturing the A15 Bionic chip on last year’s iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro models. Apple is also said to use the same process technology for the chip available in its next-generation MacBook Air models that are expected to debut ahead of the iPhone 14 launch — maybe as early as June this year.

Citing TSMC roadmap and public announcements, reputed analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has tweeted to suggest that the A16 Bionic chip would be based on the N5P logic node that was earlier used for manufacturing the A15 Bionic chip. The analyst said that Apple would, though, still call the new processor the A16 Bionic for marketing purposes.

However, Kuo did indicate that there could be slight improvements in performance and power-saving on the A16 over the existing A15 Bonic.

Kuo previously speculated that while the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max in the lineup would come with the A16 Bionic chip, the iPhone 14 models would use the same A15 SoC that is available on the iPhone 13 series.

The latest comments by the analyst suggest that Apple would not be able to deliver significant chip-level performance differences between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models as both would use the chips based on the same 5nm process technology. Nevertheless, the company does have a record of optimising user experiences by refining the software side of things.

Kuo also suggested that similar to the iPhone 14 Pro models, the new MacBook Air versions would continue to use the same CPU architecture that is available on the M1 chip, which is the same as on the A15 Bionic SoC.

Some previous reports mentioned that Apple would use the M2 chip on its new MacBook Air models. Kuo believes that while the M2 series with a significant performance boost over the M1 chip is quite likely to appear on the next 14- or 16-inch MacBook Pro model, the Cupertino company may eventually introduce the new MacBook Air with a CPU carrying the M2 title to enhance its marketing.

The prime reason for predicting why Apple is not likely to bring any noticeable performance upgrade this time is the fact that TSMC is not expected to bring the N3 and N4P logic nodes for mass production until 2023. The company has the N5P and N4 technologies that both do not include any significant differences. It, thus, makes sense for Apple to continue to use the N5P process.



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Taiwan Raids Chinese Companies, R&D Centres Suspected of Poaching Chip Engineers Illegally

Taiwan authorities raided ten Chinese companies suspected of illegally poaching chip engineers and other tech talent this week, the island’s Investigation Bureau said on Thursday, the latest crackdown on Chinese firms to protect its chip supremacy.

Home to chipmaker giant TSMC and accounting for the majority of the world’s most advanced semiconductor manufacturing capacity, Taiwan has ramped up a campaign to counter illegal poaching by Chinese companies in what the island sees as a threat to its chip expertise.

The bureau said it raided ten Chinese companies or their R&D centers which operate in Taiwan without approval earlier this week. It said nearly 70 people have been summoned for questioning in a joint crackdown across several cities including the capital Taipei and the island’s semiconductor hub, Hsinchu.

“The illegal poaching of Taiwan’s high-tech talent by Chinese companies has badly impacted our international competitiveness and endangered our national security,” the bureau said in a statement.

It said technology is vital to Taiwan’s security and urged people to “stay high on alert” for such Chinese activities.

The bureau did not name the companies currently being investigated, adding they included integrated circuit design firms and electronics parts makers.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office has not responded to Reuters’ requests for comment on the issue.

The Investigation Bureau has launched investigations into around 100 Chinese companies suspected of illegally poaching technology talents, a senior bureau official told Reuters last month.

China’s scramble for chip engineering talent has intensified amid Beijing’s goal of achieving self-reliance in advanced chips, especially after a trade war with the former Trump administration in the United States.

Taiwanese law prohibits Chinese investment in some parts of the semiconductor supply chain, including chip design, and requires reviews for other areas such as chip packaging, making it very difficult for Chinese chip companies to operate on the island legally.

In March, the bureau raided eight Chinese companies aimed at countering what it said was “the Chinese Communist Party’s illegal activities of talent-poaching and secret-stealing”.

© Thomson Reuters 2022

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Ukraine Crisis: Acer Suspends Business in Russia

Taiwan tech firm Acer said Friday it was halting all business in Russia after Taipei expanded sanctions over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Self-ruled Taiwan has been watching the conflict in Ukraine closely and swiftly joined the international sanctions against Russia.

The invasion has heightened fears that China might one day follow through on threats to annex its smaller neighbour.

Acer said in a statement it has decided to suspend its business in Russia “due to recent developments”.

“The company is focusing on the safety of all its employees, which includes ongoing efforts to help every individual and their families impacted by the current situation.”

Taiwan’s government recently listed 57 “strategic high-tech commodities” subjected to tighter export controls, including computers, telecoms and avionics devices, as well as equipment for making semiconductors.

Exporters must seek prior approval from the Bureau of Foreign Trade if they wish to ship the controlled items to Russia.

The island is a major manufacturing hub for microchips and home to the world’s largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

Last month, another leading Taiwanese computer maker Asus announced that its shipments to Russia were “at a standstill” due to the war.

Acer’s announcement came days after Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov published a letter to Asus chairman Jonney Shih calling on the firm to “end any relationships” with Russia.

Fedorov — who is also Ukraine’s digital minister — has also urged multinational tech companies such as Intel, Microsoft and PayPal to halt operations in Russia.

A growing number of multinationals, from McDonald’s to Adidas and Samsung, have fully or partially halted business in Russia.

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