Samsung has started producing chips on its 7nm low power plus process, partly using EUV. Samsung says it will have capacity in 2020 for customers who need a lot of chips.
The start of production on the 7nm process with euv has gone according to plan. In September last year, Samsung said it would start on the new process in the second half of 2018. Samsung has not yet announced which chips it will make on its new process. The manufacturer not only makes its own chips for smartphones, for example, but also produces for others.
Samsung is likely to use the process for its upcoming high-end soc for smartphones that will be released in 2019. Qualcomm already announced at the beginning of this year that it will have its future Snapdragon socs with 5g modem produced by Samsung on the 7nm process with euv. According to AnandTech, Samsung can produce 1500 wafers per day per machine. Samsung uses ASML’s Twinscan NXE:3400B machines.
Samsung has started 7nm EUV production in its S3 Fab in the South Korean city of Hwaseong. Although production has started, according to Samsung, it will take until 2020 before there is enough capacity for customers who want to have chips made in large volumes. A new production line should be ready by then.
It is the first process that actually goes into production for which euv is used. Chipmakers are in the process of transitioning to euv lithography as a replacement for immersion lithography. Euv production uses extreme ultraviolet light with a wavelength of 13.5nm, allowing for small structures. Immersion lithography works with light with a wavelength of 193nm.
Competitor TSMC has already started its 7nm production in April, but does not yet use euv. For example, the Kirin 980-socs from Huawei and the A12-socs from Apple are made on the 7nm process of TSMC. TSMC is also working on the switch to euv. GlobalFoundries also had similar plans, but announced in August that it would stop developing its 7nm process.
Samsung production facility for 7nm lpp process