SAMSUNG AND GLOBALFOUNDRIES plans to start producing 14-nanometer chips to THE END OF THE YEAR
According to sources, the company Globalfoundries and Samsung followed to plan, according to which, before the end of this year, both manufacturers expect to release its first 14-nanometer chips, ahead in the development of technology standards company TSMC.
To speed up the development of 14-nanometer technology, the alliance members Common Platform - IBM, Globalfoundries and Samsung - have agreed that the progress achieved on the test production of IBM in Albany, will be immediately transferred to production partners.
Company Samsung, speaking contract manufacturer of semiconductor products, is going to release a test sample 14-nanometer products for its customers in April and September.
Meanwhile, IBM has prepared a place for the installation of lithographic equipment operating in the hard ultraviolet (EUV). By using EUV-lithography related prospects of finer process technologies.
The members of the Common Platform believe that the technology will be used for EUV technology standards 7 nm or less. They recognize that in this way there is a lot of difficulties, but they believe that the industry has no alternatives.
In particular, the developers have managed to increase the EUV laser power up to 30 watts, but for practical use must reach a level of 250 watts. There are other problems with the photoresist mask with defects, the process of technical quality control.
Some stages of use of 14 nm and 10 nm can be used for transition to the norms of 7 nm, for example, improvements in the process of formation of double structures. They are expected to reduce the need for a triple and quadruple formation.
It is believed that the development of EUV will pave the way for the transition to the use of 450-mm wafers, as with existing technology immersion lithography harder to recoup the costs associated with the use of larger diameter wafers (recall now the industry is using a plate diameter of 300 mm or less). According to IBM, the transition to 450-mm plates will be held around the year 2020.
