Samsung is the first to start producing 3nm chips
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Horus-Anhur
Quite impressive that Samsung managed to beat TSMC, for once.
Competition is always good.
Meanwhile Intel is way behind with 10nm, rebranded to Intel 7, instead of being 10nm++
krayzee
Now the question is on yield. Samsung had a hard time with their 7nm yields and pushed a lot of people to go back to TSMC. Hopefully they bump it up and stay competitive.
Silva
Not trying to defend Intel on the rebrand, I think it was naughty marketing, but Intel 10nm is compared in size and performance to TSMC 7nm.
That is why Intel rebranded it, so they wouldn't look as bad. They're also racing to push their Intel 5 out, let's hope it doesn't take 7 more years...
Martin5000
Using lithography machines built by ASML from the Netherlands.
Horus-Anhur
I know that.
But Intel is well behind in process node. Intel 7, is basically an improved Intel 10.
So it's probably equivalent to TSMC's N7-N6 node.
Meanwhile Samsung is already at 3nm GAA. And TSMC is set to start production in their N3 node this second half of 2022.
A decade ago, if someone told me that Intel would be so far behind in process nodes, I would find it hard to believe. From undisputed 1st place, to third.
Venix
So does tsmc too, no?
fantaskarsef
Yield rates are the only interesting thing now. But good that they already shipped, not just started volume production
afaik, yes
Horus-Anhur
In April, there were rumors that Samsung's 3Nm process node was having yields of 10-20%.
Hopefully, things have improved.
https://media0.giphy.com/media/WxDZ77xhPXf3i/giphy.gif?cid=ecf05e479wdawurr0kfftdkxo5q5s8v2smmamsowrla7o6un&rid=giphy.gif&ct=g
fantaskarsef
This. 10% would be an expensive tech demo. Wouldn't be surprised if TSMC wouldn't even start to sell contracts unless they would already have above 50% at least, and that's already not the best.
Picolete
Samsung chips are usually not as good as TSMC ones at the same "nm"; that's one of the reasons Qualcomm moved from Samsung to TSMC, yields being another reason
H83
I`m having an hard time believing this after the mess they made on their previous nodes.
This smells like a marketing stunt, more than anything else...
Horus-Anhur
See my latest post in this thread 😉
umeng2002
"3nm"
coth
As well as Chinese AMEC equipment. And ASML using details and technologies from all around the world, including China and Russia.
umeng2002
Well, notably Carl Zeiss.
If making chips was as easy as just buying ASML machines, ASML would just do it themselves.
Crazy Serb
3nm... If only this number actually had any meaning to it...
This is what we get when monitor/TV company is doing something else, numbers have no meaning...I guess that is why their quality control fails a lot, QC does not have real numbers either...
Catspaw
I dont think it matters what they call it, but how good it is.
Samsung's node in Ampere has been documented to be a failure (meaning that performance per watt was not good).
This is why nVidia is going with TSMC now (with the 4000 gpus).
At least that is what I heard online so take it the the amount of salt you like.
In the end, do we care what the "node is" or what technology it is or what yield it is?
I think we care about how fast it is and how much is it going to cost us. (this includes power consumption as well).
shady28
So ah, what does Samsung 3nm really mean? If it's like their 8nm, perhaps they have caught up to TSMC 5nm?
shady28
Oh wait I think I found it! So, basically, same as TSMC N4 (enhanced N5) node :
coth
Note that this is maximum density. High power density, used in CPU and GPU logic, would be significantly lower. And that's where Intel scales much better than TSMC and Samsung.
