Samsung Electronics has lost exclusive chip manufacturing contract with Apple, but a new report claims that that the company has managed to land orders from Advanced Micro Devices and Qualcomm. ZDNet reports that Samsung is projected to begin producing application processors (APs) for clients such as Apple, AMD and Qualcomm …
Read More »GlobalFoundries could still get IBM’s semiconductor business
Even though earlier this year it was reported that the talks between GlobalFoundries and IBM over the latter’s semiconductor business collapsed, a new media report claims that the two companies have finally come to an agreement. The Big Blue reportedly agreed to pay the contract maker of semiconductors for taking …
Read More »TSMC builds world’s first 32-core networking chip using 16nm FinFET process technology
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. on Thursday said that it has built the world’s first many-core networking processor for next-generation wireless communications and routers using 16nm FinFET fabrication technology. The ultra-thin manufacturing process will allow the many-core chip to deliver high performance and rich feature-set while consuming low amounts of power. …
Read More »Intel to spend $6 billion on 10nm fab in Israel
The Israeli government announced this week that it has approved a plan submitted by Intel Corp. regarding upgrading its fab in Kiryat Gat. Under the terms of the plan the chip giant intends to significantly modernize its semiconductor manufacturing facility in order to build chips using 10nm process technology there. Intel …
Read More »Intel: Transitions to thinner process tech will get harder
Although Intel Corp. imagines its future many years down the road and has a solid vision, it admits that going forward it will be much harder to achieve certain goals as manufacturing technologies get much more complex. Like other huge companies, Intel Corp. has big plans for the future. Recently …
Read More »Intel: We will not need EUV for 10nm process technology
Intel Corp. officially confirmed on Wednesday that it will not use extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography for its 10nm process technology allegedly due to come online in 2016. Apparently, not only the EUV scanners are not ready, but backbones of certain fabs may not support the new equipment due to its …
Read More »TSMC to make 16nm chips in volume in Q1 2015 – report
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is on-track to start volume production of chips in the first quarter of 2015, according to a media report. The first client to order 16nm chips from TSMC is expected to be Apple, which is a little bit surprising. TSMC has been making test chips using …
Read More »IBM offered GlobalFoundries $1 billion to take its foundry business away
As reported, the deal between International Business Machines Corp. and GlobalFoundries over chip manufacturing assets of the former has failed to materialize because the latter did not want to pay enough to the former. However, according to a new report, it was IBM, who was offering money to GlobalFoundries to take …
Read More »IBM rejects GlobalFoundries’ proposal for semiconductor assets
International Business Machines Corp. and GlobalFoundries have ended negotiations regarding acquisition of IBM’s semiconductor manufacturing assets by the contract maker of chips. The two companies failed to agree on the price, according to a media report. Earlier this year it was reported that IBM wanted $2 billion for its money-losing …
Read More »Fujitsu and UMC to form chip production joint venture
Fujitsu Limited and United Microelectronics Corp. plan to form a joint venture that will operate Fujitsu’s semiconductor manufacturing complex in Mie prefecture in Japan. While initially Fujitsu will hold the control stake of the new company, it is going to gradually reduce it. The Japanese conglomerate has been winding down …
Read More »TSMC begins to ship 20nm wafers to customers, expects very rapid ramp
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. said this week that it had begun to ship the first wafers processed using its 20nm fabrication technology to customers. The company began mass production of chips using 20nm manufacturing process in early January, the first commercial wafers were shipped to undisclosed customers in June. The …
Read More »TSMC to speed up development of 10nm process technology
In a bid to retain its leadership position on the market of contract semiconductor manufacturing, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is reportedly accelerating development of its 10nm FinFET process technology. At present TSMC is the leading contract maker of chips produced using 28nm process technology. It is believed that the company makes considerably …
Read More »Intel’s Custom Foundry division to make chips for Panasonic
Intel Corp. on Monday announced that it has entered into a manufacturing agreement with Panasonic Corp. The world’s largest chipmaker will produce Panasonic’s next-generation system-on-chips using 14nm low-power manufacturing process. Panasonic's future SoCs will target audio visual-based equipment markets (TVs, Blu-ray players, media players, etc.), and will enable higher levels of …
Read More »SMIC to produce 28nm chips for Qualcomm in China
Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. (SMIC), a China-based contract maker of chips, and Qualcomm on Thursday announced that SMIC will produce Qualcomm’s Snapdragon system-on-chips for mobile devices using 28nm process technology in China. The move will help Qualcomm to boost production of its advanced SoCs and lower their manufacturing costs. As …
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