TSMC has announced that after several delays, the company plans to use 450 mm wafers to manufacture processors in 2018.
TSMC spokesman Michael Kramer said that the company will begin trial production of 450mm wafers in 2016 or 2017, and the actual mass production will not be until 2018.
Industrial chip makers have been using 300-mm disc silicon wafers to produce processors. The 450mm silicon wafer area is 2.5 times that of 300mm and can help companies produce more chips per wafer.
Kramer said that this approach will help reduce costs, and that any technology that can reduce costs will be very popular if R&D costs soar.
However, the chip industry has been slow to move to 450mm wafers, because the technology needs to spend billions of dollars to develop tools and build factories.
According to some media reports, TSMC plans to use 450mm wafers in 2015. "The 450mm wafer was postponed many times and there may have been an earlier plan," Kramer said. "This production method requires a lot of coordination work across the industry."
Both Intel and TSMC recently invested in ASML, a Dutch chip tool maker, and hope to develop a variety of technologies including 450mm wafers.
If TSMC can implement this product roadmap, the company will use 450mm wafer technology in a 10-nm manufacturing process. This kind of product will have higher energy efficiency and faster calculation speed than the current 28-nanometer chip.
TSMC spokesman Michael Kramer said that the company will begin trial production of 450mm wafers in 2016 or 2017, and the actual mass production will not be until 2018.
Industrial chip makers have been using 300-mm disc silicon wafers to produce processors. The 450mm silicon wafer area is 2.5 times that of 300mm and can help companies produce more chips per wafer.
Kramer said that this approach will help reduce costs, and that any technology that can reduce costs will be very popular if R&D costs soar.
However, the chip industry has been slow to move to 450mm wafers, because the technology needs to spend billions of dollars to develop tools and build factories.
According to some media reports, TSMC plans to use 450mm wafers in 2015. "The 450mm wafer was postponed many times and there may have been an earlier plan," Kramer said. "This production method requires a lot of coordination work across the industry."
Both Intel and TSMC recently invested in ASML, a Dutch chip tool maker, and hope to develop a variety of technologies including 450mm wafers.
If TSMC can implement this product roadmap, the company will use 450mm wafer technology in a 10-nm manufacturing process. This kind of product will have higher energy efficiency and faster calculation speed than the current 28-nanometer chip.
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