TSMC Aims At 10nm Chip Production By 2016
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), the world's No.1 silicon foundry supplier, has allocated siginificant resources to the development of 10nm process technology as it tries to get ahead of rival Intel.
TSMC's 10nm process ambitious program - codenamed the "Night Hawk" - occupies over 400 R&D specialists and is led by the company's chairman Morris Chang.
Chang has recently disclosed during a shareholder meeting that TSMC is working closely with a "very important customer" on 10nm process technology, and that the two will introduce tapeouts on the process after a year. General production using the process is slated for 2016.
Intel has been almost a year ahead of TSMC in terms of lithography process, as the company will deliver its 14nm chips by the end of the year.
Chang also claims that his company is outperforming Samsung in 14nm process foundry operations in terms of technological progress, manufacturing capacity, and about relationships with customers.
Chang has recently disclosed during a shareholder meeting that TSMC is working closely with a "very important customer" on 10nm process technology, and that the two will introduce tapeouts on the process after a year. General production using the process is slated for 2016.
Intel has been almost a year ahead of TSMC in terms of lithography process, as the company will deliver its 14nm chips by the end of the year.
Chang also claims that his company is outperforming Samsung in 14nm process foundry operations in terms of technological progress, manufacturing capacity, and about relationships with customers.