Wednesday, June 30th 2021

Samsung 3 nm GAAFET Node Delayed to 2024

Samsung's ambitious 3 nm silicon fabrication node that leverages the Gate All Around FET transistors, has reportedly been delayed to 2024. The company brands this specific node as 3GAE. 2024 is the earliest date when Samsung will be able to mass-produce chips on 3GAE, which means the company, along with Intel, will begin to fall significantly behind TSMC on foundry technology. The Taiwanese semiconductor fabrication giant will target 2 nm-class nodes around 2024, which leverages EUV multi-patterning, extensive use of cobalt in contacts and interconnects, germanium doped channels, and other in-house innovations. With Intel's foundry technology development slowing to a crawl in the sub-10 nm domain, Samsung is the only viable alternative to TSMC for cutting-edge logic chip manufacturing.
Source: SemiAnalysis
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11 Comments on Samsung 3 nm GAAFET Node Delayed to 2024

#1
Fatalfury
looks like the entire world's technology advancments depends on the hands on TSMC.
thats scary tbh.
Posted on Reply
#2
Nash
Samsung will be able to mass-produce chips on 3GAE, which means the company, along with Intel, will begin to fall significantly behind TSM
TSMC got ahead by using a different shot / patterning method. Intel had already used self-aligned quadruple patterning "SAQP" in their foundry. All of these techniques are extremely - intricate, and they consume massive amounts of time and money, Intel continued with immersion because it was the proven process for their fabs at production speed. Explaining Intel's developments to make EUV profitable as "getting behind" isn't reality, they are required to be profitable, researching to solve atomic level problems for high-speed production is a different level of complexity.
Fatalfurylooks like the entire world's technology advancments depends on the hands on TSMC.
thats scary tbh.
Writers throw in SAQP for the tech-literate, it's become a "catch my drift" phrase.
The Taiwanese semiconductor fabrication giant will target 2 nm-class nodes around 2024, which leverages EUV multi-patterning, extensive use of cobalt in contacts and interconnects, germanium doped channels, and other in-house innovation
11/02/2017 Patent by IBM CORPORATION: 1. A method for forming an integrated circuit comprising: providing a patterned substrate comprising a trench structure, a via structure or combinations thereof in a dielectric layer; depositing a metal liner layer onto the patterned substrate; depositing cobalt onto the metal liner layer; depositing a stress control layer onto the cobalt; and annealing the patterned substrate to increase grain size of the cobalt.

TMSC's in-house innovation at work there ^^^^
Posted on Reply
#3
AusWolf
"With Intel's foundry technology development slowing to a crawl in the sub-10 nm domain, Samsung is the only viable alternative to TSMC for cutting-edge logic chip manufacturing."

It looks like I'm missing part of the picture. What happened with Global Foundries?
Posted on Reply
#4
iO
AusWolf"With Intel's foundry technology development slowing to a crawl in the sub-10 nm domain, Samsung is the only viable alternative to TSMC for cutting-edge logic chip manufacturing."

It looks like I'm missing part of the picture. What happened with Global Foundries?
The development for their 7nm process was delayed as usual so AMD went with TSMC instead. And with their main 7nm customer now gone, they had to quit the race for smaller processes and shifted their focus to cost effective stuff like 22fdx and soon™ 12fdx.
Posted on Reply
#5
Nanochip
Where are the pitchforks and naysayers predicting Samsung’s impending doom? If the name of the company facing delays was ‘Intel’, there would’ve been been droves of negative comments saying “I told you so, it’s over, give it up.”

It’s clear that shrinking transistors and getting commercially viable yields is incredibly difficult… hence chiplets and tiles. Kudos to TSMC for its continued cadence.
Posted on Reply
#6
z1n0x
Fatalfurylooks like the entire world's technology advancments depends on the hands on TSMC.
thats scary tbh.
Why, because China? If that's what you fear, don't worry CCP won't do shit, they are just barking. Ultra nationalists poses for domestic consumption.
Posted on Reply
#7
defaultluser
NanochipWhere are the pitchforks and naysayers predicting Samsung’s impending doom? If the name of the company facing delays was ‘Intel’, there would’ve been been droves of negative comments saying “I told you so, it’s over, give it up.”

It’s clear that shrinking transistors and getting commercially viable yields is incredibly difficult… hence chiplets and tiles. Kudos to TSMC for its continued cadence.
When their current process nodes being one step behind TSMC, the delay could really be disastrous for them.

Right now, Qualcomm is using them for the disappointing 888, but a delay this bad will almost certainty cost them the successor.

I(f both Qualcomm and Apple won't use you, then you have none of the early high-margin process node subsidizers (which means you will have less margin for next-gen R&D).

Samsung is a lot bigger than GF, but if they never make-up the 4- year deficit , it will eventually bleed them dry!
Posted on Reply
#8
persondb
With Intel's foundry technology development slowing to a crawl in the sub-10 nm domain
Eh, you gotta understand that intel sub-10nm isn't the rest of the foundries sub-10nm.

semiwiki.com/semiconductor-manufacturers/intel/295767-intel-nodes/

This wasn't really relevant because only Intel used Intel fabs too, so Samsung was the only competitor to TSMC after Global Foundries dropped out.

Hopefully Intel manages to not delay their 7nm anymore, which as far as report and rumor's goes rn, it's not looking that bad. And if they also succeed with their new foundry division, I think it would be some pretty good competition with TSMC.
Posted on Reply
#9
Minus Infinity
Who cares, I'd rather they got the 8nm, and 5nm optimised and up to par with TSMC. Are Samsung doing 7nm and 6nm?
Posted on Reply
#10
Prima.Vera
Fatalfurylooks like the entire world's technology advancments depends on the hands on TSMC.
thats scary tbh.
Relax, TSMC is blatantly lying with their node shrink, and most are marketing names only.
Posted on Reply
#11
Nihilus
So, anyone else pronounce this as "GAY-FET" in their head?
Posted on Reply
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