Samsung and Global Foundries to jointly produce 3D chips at 14nm

Global Foundries will work closely with Samsung in the field of chip production and, among other things, license the 14nm finfet process of the Korean company. This means AMD could make upcoming chips at Samsung and Apple at Global Foundries.

Global Foundries was working on its own implementation for 14nm with ‘finfet transistors’, called 14XM, which seemed to focus mainly on mobile chips. The company is now dropping that process for Samsung’s elaboration. Samsung’s platform that Global Foundries is now licensing will provide “transistors that are 20 percent faster, 35 percent more energy efficient and have 15 percent less surface area, compared to ‘flat’ 20nm technology.”

In finfets, the gate of transistors is not fabricated over the channel, but lies around it. This creates a larger gate area, which means that the transistors can switch faster and are more economical thanks to lower leakage currents. In addition, the dimensions are reduced so that more transistors can fit on a silicon wafer, so that a cost reduction can be realized.

The cooperation agreement covers several years. With the help of process design kits, manufacturers of SOCs can submit their designs and mass production of the 14nm chips can start at the end of this year. That production can then take place at Samsung’s fabs in Hwaseong in Korea and Austin in America as well as at Global Foundries’ fabs in New York.

With the collaboration, the two companies want to be able to compete better with Intel and TSMC. Intel started production of 22nm chips based on the comparable tri-gate transistors last year and Intel plans to start 14nm production by the end of this year, although the chip giant is struggling with delays due to problems. TSMC saw its turnover increase significantly last quarter, partly because its 20nm production was gaining momentum. The company is currently testing 16nm finfet production.

AMD, among others, will use 14nm production for its chips. Global Foundries originated from AMD, but there is a possibility that Samsung will soon make chips for the company. In addition, it is possible that Apple will soon have its A-socs for iPhones and iPads made at 14nm by Global Foundries. There have been rumors for years that Apple wants to have its chips made exclusively by TSMC, in order to get rid of its dependence on rival Samsung, but it has not yet been confirmed that production will indeed be completely shifted to TSMC.