DigiTimes today is sharing some information about just where AMD's 7nm chips will be processed and there seems to be a name missing. TSMC, SPIL and TFME will all be producing specific products but there is no mention of GLOBALFOUNDRIES in the news post.
TSMC will handle the bulk of the EPYC and HPC versions of Vega production with their chip-on-wafer-on-substrate, as one might expect; SPIL and TFME will handle desktop Ryzen and GPUs. One hopes that by diversifying their production sources we can avoid shortages from one line effecting the entire market as we have seen in the past.
"TSMC is also among the backend partners of AMD for its new 7nm computing and graphics products, according to industry sources. Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) under Taiwan's ASE Technology Holding, and China-based Tongfu Microelectronics (TFME) are other backend service providers for the chips, the sources continued."
Here is some more Tech News from around the web:
- Windows 10 Insiders sent on quest deep into Registry to fetch goblet of Reserved Storage @ The Register
- After broken promise, AT&T says it’ll stop selling phone location data @ Ars Technica
- Developer Bungie Splits With Publisher Activision, Will Keep World Shooter Series Destiny @ Slashdot
- Reddit locks out users with poor password hygiene after spotting 'unusual activity' @ The Register
- PC shipments drop again, just as things were starting to look up @ The Inquirer
- Sex toy wins CES robotics award, then has it taken away in ridiculous moral panic @ The Inquirer
- Hackaday Podcast Ep1 – Seriously, We Know What We’re Doing
There’s nothing new under the
There’s nothing new under the sun, GlobalFoundries is for sale!
Intel should separate its foundry activity from its circuit design and merge it to GlobalFoundries in order to expand its capacity and compete with TSMC.
This is all for AMD’s chip
This is all for AMD’s chip packaging needs and not processor/wafer production really for any 7nm/any other wafer production. TSMC offers advanced chip packaging services also so TSMC’s name is there for its chip packaging services that where also awarded some AMD contract work.
So the article refrenced states:
“TSMC with its CoWoS (chip-on-wafer-on-substrate) packaging has grabbed orders for AMD’s 7nm datacenter CPU, while SPIL and TFME share the flip-chip packaging orders placed by AMD for its new 7nm CPU and GPU designed for desktops and notebooks, the sources indicated.” (see Article Link Above)
“TFME (formerly Nantong Fujitsu Microelectronics) through its acquisition of an 85% stake in AMD’s Penang, Malaysia and Suzhou, China ATMP (assembly, test, mark, and pack) facilities has allowed the China-based company to win part of the orders for AMD’s new 7nm processors, the sources identified.” (see Article Link Above)
That’s for assembly, test, mark, and pack work and not any 7nm Wafer production, Ditto Siliconware Precision Industries (SPIL) for packaging services, TSMC’s chip packaging services. ATMP is not even a seperate company it’s an TFME division for assembly, test, mark, and pack!
So GF’s name is not likely to be in any newly awarded CHIP PACKAGING contracts but GF is sill under existing contracts for wafer production.
GF is there with 3rd gereration Ryzen and Ryzen/3000-Desktop’s 14nm I/O die production, ditto for Epyc/Rome’s I/O die. Sure GF’s is not 7nm but even Intel has pushed back some Chipset production onto 22nm just the same. And it does cost AMD less to fab the I/O DIEs on 14nm and the 14nm SERDES IP is well on vetted/certified and mature at 14nm.
GF’s owners actually wanted profitability from their investment so that’s the main reason that they abandoned that expensive to develop 7nm node. GF’s still going to be producting all of AMD Zen/Naples and First/Second generation, and Ryzen 3000 series APU at 12nm.
GF is contracted to produce Zen/Naples and any Ryzen Pro branded CPUs(14nm/12nm and APUs(on 14 or 12nm) for at least 3 years. All of AMD’s server and Pro branded PC/Laptop SKUs have to come with extended product availability guarantees! So even the 14nm Zen1/12nm Zen+ Pro branded parts will be in production for more than 2 years.
GF’s has decided that 12nm/14nm and larger nodes, Finfet or fully depleted SOI, business is what GF can afford and actually show a profit making. So that’s hundreds of customers that do not really need 7nm or even 14nm/12nm in some cases.
Really this is another news cockup as this is for packaging services and not Processor/Wafer contracts. Those Dies don’t just get magically attatched to those MCMs or PCB substrates with those Heat-Spreaders soldered on and glued down. These are not Wafer contracts they are chip packaging contracts for Processer DIEs that have already been produced. So that includes testing services also.
And chipman you are proven an egregious fool for not even bothering to read the likned article.
SPIL and TFME aren’t
SPIL and TFME aren’t foundries. They’re silicon packagers and testers.
Only TSMC makes 7nm silicon.