Samsung's 5 nm EUV Node Struggles with Yields

[AleksandarK]

Semiconductor manufacturing is a difficult process. Often when a new node is being developed, there are new materials introduced that may cause some yield issues. Or perhaps with 7 nm and below nodes, they are quite difficult to manufacture due to their size, as the transistor can get damaged by the smallest impurity in silicon. So manufacturers have to be extra careful and must spend more time on the development of new nodes. According to industry sources over at DigiTimes, we have information that Samsung is struggling with its 5 nm EUV node.

This unfortunate news comes after the industry sources of DigiTimes reported that Qualcomm's next-generation 5G chipsets could be affected if Samsung doesn't improve its yields. While there are no specific pieces of information on what is the main cause of bad yields, there could be a plethora of reasons. From anything related to manufacturing equipment to silicon impurities. We don't know yet. We hope that Samsung can sort out these issues in time, so Qualcomm wouldn't need to reserve its orders at rival foundries and port the design to a new process.


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[Rictorhell]

That is concerning, but at the same time I don't believe there are any similiar reports of issues like that with TSMC and their work on sub 5nm nodes, so that is something, although these issues with Samsung could delay quite a few devices that work with that company and that specific node. Considering all of Intel's issues, I'm grateful that other companies have managed to even move on to 5nm, even with occasional hiccups here and there.

I'm still not thrilled with Intel, because I feel like their lollygagging the last several years with 4 cores and intentionally stunted IPC improvements, hurt the worldwide technology industry in general, or at least kept things from developing at the pace that they potentially could have. If AMD had gone out of business entirely a few years ago, or if they hadn't developed Ryzen and that technology, where would things be right now?

One thing that annoys me is the obvious superiority of many AMD products right now, and the delay in seeing widespread QUALITY laptop products with "AMD Inside".

I am well informed on Intel and AMD and there have been, easily, 30 Intel models of laptops and 2 in 1's to choose from, but maybe 4 comparable AMD laptops, of the same caliber. I know AMD has been primarily focused on desktop processors and systems, but it's still frustrating from my point of view.

I keep wondering what would happen in technology if we woke up one day soon and AMD had all of Intel's resources and finances at it's disposal. I doubt that AMD would sit there for years and years and let their technology languish and stagnate.

With Apple fully embracing ARM, that at least means that there will be meaningful competition and sufficient motivation for everyone, including Intel, to keep striving for IPC and power efficiency gains. I don't have any Apple products, yet, but I'm curious to see how far they could potentially take their processor designs and what they could do with device form factors, in the future. I know it's crazy but I wish they would make a tablet with some kind of expandable storage option, even if it's some proprietary and overpriced "iCard". That would at least be SOMETHING, some kind of option for people that purchase their devices and need actual flexibility.

 

[Vya Domus]

With Apple fully embracing ARM, that at least means that there will be meaningful competition and sufficient motivation for everyone, including Intel, to keep striving for IPC and power efficiency gains.

The market in which Apple operates will impact almost nobody, they are basically closed off from everyone else, the sort of people that buy Macbooks wouldn't have looked at a Intel/AMD laptop anyway.

 

[Minus Infinity]

The market in which Apple operates will impact almost nobody, they are basically closed off from everyone else, the sort of people that buy Macbooks wouldn't have looked at a Intel/AMD laptop anyway.

Alas you are right, iTards are a cult, they consider other brands a joke. I went on a photographic tour once where there were 12 people from USA and my wife and I from Australia. Every single one of them had iPhone and Mac laptops and looked at me with contempt when I mentioned Android, Samsung, Google and any other brand. Mind you these were ll very very well off people and money was not an issue. They considered hardware from other brands as second rate junk.

 

[biffzinker]

Every single one of them had iPhone and Mac laptops and looked at me with contempt when I mentioned Android, Samsung, Google and any other brand.

I only recently bought my first iPhone because of the roughly four years of OS updates otherwise I’ve been Android the whole time smartphones started.

 

[DrCR]

Don't worry man, there's a plethora of yanks who would also get a laugh out of such a situation. That's the sort of behind-the-times thinking with regard to coolness that my niece and nephew would deem 'basic'. It's ironic their attitude yields an in kind response back at them of like nature from the next generation. An iPhone was cool... a decade ago. Now it's mainstream. That said... why where you bringing it up to them i.e. could their contempt actually be complete disinterest to you bringing up Android, Samsung, Google and any other brand? It may have been like bring up the new Supra during a Holden group meet.

Alas you are right, iTards are a cult, they consider other brands a joke. I went on a photographic tour once where there were 12 people from USA and my wife and I from Australia. Every single one of them had iPhone and Mac laptops and looked at me with contempt when I mentioned Android, Samsung, Google and any other brand. Mind you these were ll very very well off people and money was not an issue. They considered hardware from other brands as second rate junk.